“Beauty is a splendid galloping horse.”
- January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970
- Born in Japan
- Novelist, playwright, critic, political activist
- He became a representative figure of postwar Japanese literature, and was highly acclaimed both at home and abroad. He pursued his own unique aesthetic with themes of beauty and death, and ultimately committed seppuku at a Self-Defense Forces garrison. His life, which combined literature with action, continues to have a strong influence today.
Japanese
「美は秀麗な奔馬である。」
English
“Beauty is a splendid galloping horse.”
Explanation
In this quote, Mishima uses the metaphor of a galloping horse to describe beauty. The image of a splendid galloping horse evokes a sense of power, freedom, and grace, suggesting that beauty is something dynamic and unstoppable. Like a horse in full stride, beauty is not something static or confined, but rather something that moves and exhilarates. The “splendid” nature of the horse also emphasizes that beauty is not just simple or ordinary—it is majestic, something that commands attention and admiration. However, a galloping horse also suggests impermanence; just as a horse cannot remain in a single place, beauty is fleeting, always in motion and impossible to fully capture or contain.
Mishima’s choice of metaphor reflects his belief that beauty is not just a passive or aesthetic quality but a force that moves and drives those who experience it. Beauty, in this view, is something that enlivens the world around it, much like a horse galloping freely across an open field. However, there is also a subtle reminder in the metaphor that beauty, like the horse, can be wild and uncontrollable, and it can also be destructive if not harnessed or understood properly. Mishima often explored the tension between the ideal and the real, and this quote can be interpreted as a reflection on how beauty exists as both an aspiration and a force that transcends the ordinary.
In a modern context, Mishima’s metaphor speaks to the way beauty is often portrayed today—especially in media and art—as something idealized and captivating. Beauty, like the galloping horse, is frequently represented as a transcendent, exhilarating experience that takes us out of the ordinary and into something more aspirational. However, the metaphor also suggests that beauty, if not understood or controlled, can be a temporary and elusive pursuit. It calls us to reflect on the ephemeral nature of beauty and to recognize that while beauty can inspire, it is also something that moves too fast to be fully captured or possessed.
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