“And indeed there will be time
To wonder, ‘Do I dare?’ and, ‘Do I dare?’
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair—
[They will say: 'How his hair is growing thin!']
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,
My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin—
[They will say: 'But how his arms and legs are thin!']
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?

In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.”

This is Callie’s tattoo:

This is a question asked by a man in the poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot (my favorite poet).  In the poem, he tries over and over to muster up the courage to pursue his dreams, but his fears and doubts always stop him.  This is my personal reminder everyday, a way to constantly ask myself, “Am I brave enough to make a difference in the world?”  I want to be able to answer, “Yes.”

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eatapeach

TJ Lefebvre submitted this tattoo:

My name’s TJ Lefebvre and I got this tattoo after quite a bit of thought and deliberation, (the quote stuck with me for two years before I had it permanently done) . It’s a quote from T. S. Eliot‘s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock“, ‘do I dare to eat a peach?’.

The line of questioning has always intrigued and inspired me and, well, it speaks for itself. It’s placed on my wrist facing me, and anytime I’m at any task is a constant reminder of all I’m passionate about.

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Jun 16

T.S. Eliot

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“I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.”

- from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot

(source)

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  • Welcome to Contrariwise

    This is a website about literary tattoos. That is, tattoos based on books, poems, lyrics, and many other literary sources.

    My email address is jen@contrariwise.org, so send your comments / suggestions / praise / hate that way. If you want to submit your own tattoo (please do!), see this page.