“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
Tag Archives: une citation
french is beautiful
“One must not always think that feeling is everything. Art is nothing without form.”
Gustave Flaubert
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It’s hard to believe, but I’m already halfway through my French is Beautiful Level One course! I can honestly say that my French has already improved, and I look forward to each lesson. Studying French doesn’t feel like work to me, except maybe when it comes to verb conjugations, putain. I highly doubt that anyone could find that enjoyable. Getting back to the subject at hand – my most recent lesson had a focus on form. The French language has a certain formality to it, which is of course, echoed throughout the culture. It is crucial to know the rules, etiquette, and proper form before taking liberties. For instance, the imparfait verb form is more of a feeling, and looser than the tighter, more finite, passé composé. I’m doing my best to understand when to use each verb tense, and it’s becoming less intimidating thanks to my tutor, Carrie Anne James. Although, when I get stuck, this magical phrase buys me some time to figure it out.
** french is beautiful is a regular series – browse the archives here **
french is beautiful
“A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life.”
Thomas Jefferson
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The French language is constructed around beauty, much like the country’s landscapes and architecture. When speaking the language, it helps to remember that fact – yet another priceless tidbit from my tutor, Carrie Anne James. When doubting your pronunciation, think about what would sound the most beautiful, and you’re most likely right. One of the most crucial aspects in speaking is the “liaison” – how the words connect and blend together, creating a fluid sound. For example, the letter s in the word les is generally silent, but when combined with the word amis, it is pronounced with the “z” sound, connecting the two words…les amis. It is what makes French so enticing, and dare I say, so sexy. Even the way it’s spoken adds to the allure…you use mostly the front of your mouth, and at a low volume. Vowels at the end of words are meant to be lingered upon, and enjoyed…mini-syllables, if you will. Take the word femme…that little, innocent looking e on the end should be emphasized and savored. For me, pronunciation is paramount, and I squeal with delight when my words melt together like taffy. These details are not to be missed…after all, it is where much of the beauty lies.
** french is beautiful is a regular series – browse the archives here **
une citation
“Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’
‘Does it hurt?’ asked the Rabbit.
‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’
‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit by bit?’
‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”
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― Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit
une citation
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity,
prosperity would not be so welcome.”
Anne Bradstreet