Cesare Pavese

Poet, Novelist

Cesare Pavese was an Italian poet and novelist known for his profound exploration of love and loneliness, particularly in his work 'The Moon and the Bonfires.'

Born
September 9, 1908
Died
August 27, 1950
Quotes
151
Rank
#410

About Cesare Pavese

Cesare Pavese — Life and Legacy

Cesare Pavese was a prominent Italian poet and novelist whose literary contributions deeply explore themes of love and loneliness. His notable work, 'The Moon and the Bonfires,' reflects his personal struggles and the complexities of human emotions. Pavese's worldview is marked by a profound understanding of solitude, as seen in his quote, 'We are all alone in this world,' which captures the essence of existential isolation. He believed that embracing pain and loneliness was essential for personal growth, as illustrated in his assertion, 'The only way to deal with the pain is to live it.' Through his poignant reflections, Pavese challenged societal norms surrounding love and relationships, revealing the often painful realities that accompany deep emotional connections. His insights continue to resonate, offering readers a lens through which to understand their own experiences of love and solitude.

Quote collection

Cesare Pavese quotes (page 1 of 8)

151 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

Cesare Pavese Poet, Novelist
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"You need a village, if only for the pleasure of leaving it. A village means that you are not alone, knowing that in the people, the trees, the earth, there is something that belongs to you, waiting for you when you are not there."

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Cesare Pavese Poet, Novelist
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"Life is pain and the enjoyment of love is an anesthetic."

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Cesare Pavese Poet, Novelist
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"Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things: air, sleep, dreams, sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it."

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"Remember, writing poetry is like making love: one will never know whether one's own pleasure is shared."

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"We do not free ourselves from something by avoiding it, but only by living though it."

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"The only joy in the world is to begin. It is good to be alive because living is beginning, always, every moment."

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"The art of living is the art of knowing how to believe lies. The fearful thing about it is that, not knowing what truth may be, we can still recognize lies."

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"Every luxury must be paid for, and everything is a luxury, starting with being in this world."

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Cesare Pavese Poet, Novelist
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"It's pointless to cry. One is born and dies alone."

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"The closing years of life are like the end of a masquerade party, when the masks are dropped."

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"If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears."

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"Why does a man who is truly in love insist that this relationship must continue and be "lifelong"? Because life is pain and the enjoyment of love is an anesthetic. Who would want to wake up halfway through an operation?"

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"If it is true that one gets used to suffering, how is it that as the years go one always suffers more? No, they are not mad, those people who amuse themselves, enjoy life, travel, make love, fight they are not mad. We should like to do the same ourselves."

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"Verrà la morte e avrà i tuoi occhi. (Death will come and it will have your eyes.)"

Eye
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Cesare Pavese Poet, Novelist
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"Woman gives herself as a prize to the weak and as a prop to the strong and no man ever has what he should."

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