I read poetry to save time.
"I read poetry to save time." So spoke Marilyn Monroe, a woman the world saw only as a figure of glamour, yet within her dwelled a seeker of wisdom and meaning. These words, though simple, hold a power that shakes the soul. For in them lies the recognition that poetry distills life itself. Where novels may wander, where essays may argue, poetry strikes like lightning—one flash, and the whole landscape of the heart is revealed. To save time is not to hurry, but to reach truth without delay, to touch essence without distraction.
The ancients knew this. When Homer sang of Achilles’ rage or Odysseus’ wanderings, he did not waste words. Each line of the epic held nations’ worth of memory, honor, and grief. Likewise, the haiku masters of Japan carved entire worlds into three short lines: the season, the feeling, the eternal truth—all compressed into a breath. This is why poetry endures—it is language refined to its purest, like gold hammered until it gleams. To read it is to bypass the noise of the world and arrive swiftly at the marrow of things.
History offers testimony to Monroe’s insight. Consider soldiers at war, who carried scraps of poetry in their pockets. In the trenches of World War I, men like Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon wrote verses that captured the horror of battle in a few short lines—truths that might take whole histories to describe, yet could be felt instantly when read in verse. Poetry saves time by sparing the reader endless explanations, for it delivers raw experience, immediate and undeniable.
Even great leaders have turned to poetry for this same reason. Abraham Lincoln, weary in the midst of civil war, memorized passages of Shakespeare, whose condensed language of sorrow and destiny gave him strength. He had no time for endless volumes, yet in a few lines of verse he found the truths of mortality, duty, and grief. So too with Winston Churchill, who could craft speeches like poems—brief, memorable, thunderous—that carried a nation through fire. In moments of crisis, there is no time for long debates: only the clarity of words that pierce straight to the heart.
Marilyn Monroe herself lived in a world of appearances, where her image was endlessly magnified, yet her inner life was often ignored. Perhaps she turned to poetry because it offered her refuge from falsehood, because it revealed truths she could feel instantly, without the pretenses of fame. For poetry, unlike performance, demands no mask. It saves time not only in reading, but in living: it takes us straight to what matters, without detours of vanity or illusion.
The lesson is clear: if you wish to grasp life’s essence, turn to poetry. Do not let your days be consumed only with chatter, with explanations that drag on without reaching the soul. Poetry teaches you in a few lines what whole volumes may fail to express—that love is fleeting, that sorrow is universal, that beauty is eternal, that truth is simple and near. In poetry, life is condensed, and therefore, life is saved.
Practically, this means seeking out the poems that resonate with your heart and allowing them to guide you. Keep a few memorized, ready to recall in moments of doubt or struggle. Read poetry not as escape, but as compass, as flame. Let its brevity sharpen your sense of time, and let its clarity remind you of what matters most.
So remember, children of tomorrow: "I read poetry to save time." For time is the most precious gift, and poetry does not waste it. It carries truth swiftly, like an arrow to its mark. It brings wisdom without delay, beauty without excess. Let poetry be your companion, and it will teach you how to live—not in endless wandering, but in essence, in truth, in light.
KBPham Khanh bang
Monroe’s perspective on poetry as a time-saving device is a unique take. In a world where everything feels rushed, could reading poetry be a way to slow down while still moving forward in terms of personal growth or understanding? Perhaps poetry allows us to experience more in fewer words, giving us access to life’s truths in a concise, efficient way. Could it be that poetry brings clarity to our scattered thoughts and helps us focus?
T8Luong Phuong Thao 8A4
I’m intrigued by the idea that poetry can save time. When you read poetry, there’s often a sense of immediate connection, unlike the longer, more drawn-out experiences of daily life. Can poetry offer quick insights or resolutions in a world that often feels slow and overwhelming? Does Monroe mean that poetry helps us bypass the chaos and get straight to the essence of what we need to understand?
DLDinh Duc Luong
Monroe’s statement feels both paradoxical and profound. Reading poetry to ‘save time’ challenges the idea that poetry is just an art form to appreciate slowly and reflectively. Could poetry, with its power to condense complex ideas and emotions, be an efficient means of gaining wisdom? Does it allow us to skip over the lengthy process of trial and error by directly connecting us to universal truths?
Llocle
I find it interesting that Monroe would say she reads poetry to save time. It suggests that poetry offers a shortcut to understanding and emotional clarity. But how does poetry save time? Does it help us process emotions or situations more quickly, or does it allow us to focus on life’s deeper meanings in a more concentrated way? Could poetry be a tool for reflection that actually accelerates personal growth?
HHTran Huy Hoang
Monroe’s quote is intriguing because it flips the conventional view of poetry. We usually think of reading poetry as a leisurely, time-consuming activity, but here she suggests it’s a way to save time. Could it be that poetry, in its brevity and depth, distills life’s experiences into something more efficient? Is it possible that in reading poetry, we gain insights that save us from having to learn lessons the hard way?