Quotes About Dionysiac

If I had to describe my poetry, I would say that, until then, it had always been Apollonian, yet I had begun to write in what might tentatively be described as a Dionysiac mode. But in fact it wasn't Dionysiac poetry. Or demonic poetry. It was just raving mad.

The drinker is a Dionysiac, a dancer who sits still, a mocker. He doesn't need your seriousness or your regard. He just needs a little quiet music and a gentle freedom from priests.

Do you remember last fall, in Julian's class, when we studied what Plato calls telestic madness? Bakcheia? Dionysiac frenzy?" "Yes," I said, rather impatiently. It was just like Henry to bring up something like this right now. "Well, we decided to try to have one." For a moment I thought I hadn't understood him. "What?" I said. "I said we decided to try to have a bacchanal.