Meanings of “Cloud Cuckoo Land”
The phrase “cloud cuckoo land” means to live in a silly fantasy world, or not in an ideal state of mind. It also means a person expecting impossibility to become a possibility. It is mostly used as “live in a cloud cuckoo land” or “a cloud cuckoo lander.”
Origin of “Cloud Cuckoo Land”
The phrase “cloud cuckoo land” is stated to have used by Aristophanes for the first time in 4th century BC in his play, which was later translated by Henry F. Cary as cloud cuckoo land in 1824 when translating his play. In the play, the character Pisthetairos uses it thus: “Well, then, how do you like this: Cloudcuckooland?”
Since then, it has been used in the same sense but in different ways. The words are separated, though, sometimes some writers insert hyphens between them such as cloud-cuckoo-land.
Examples in Literature
Example #1
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Tim Casswell
nothing is for granted
nothing’s what it seems
nothing is impossible
in the land of dreams
you’ll see it if you believe it
don’t try to understand
there’s no truth beyond the magic
of cloud cuckoo landthese words these words
littering this page
dreaming of flight
like birds on a page
and i can’t come home now
it’s far too late for that
some places you go
there is no way back
These two stanzas talk about strange needs from the poet. He dreams of impossible things but also agrees that there is no free lunch, and nothing is granted free. However, for a hard worker, nothing is impossible. Therefore, the phrase “cloud cuckoo land” has no truth in it. Although these words seem good and beautiful on a page, the poet has taken to the world to do his part instead of living in the cloud cuckoo land. The phrase has been used in its literal sense.
Example #2
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage is a popular English poet from the rural area of West Yorkshire. This book is a short collection of his beautiful poems which shows that he has been associated with this bird since childhood. In fact, he has been probing the sky with a Russian telescope, which gave him the idea of Cloud Cuckoo Land. Almost all of the 88 poems deal with different subjects related to the same thematic strand; therefore, the phrase has been used in the connotative sense showing different shades of meanings.
Example #3
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Allan Morrison
Their talk of love and peace is just a mist to cover up their
fears — collectively a fortress of denial. Their ways are nothing
more than style. Perhaps as kids their worthiness was crushed
and now to compensate for this with phoney love they gush.So then I ran to where their world had interfaced with mine.
And there in shock I saw a massive psychedelic notice-sign:
“We hope you have enjoyed the stay you planned. Please do
dream back. You’re now about to leave Cloud Cuckoo Land”.
The poet presents a couple, saying that he has known their love and peace and fears and denial,. Then he states that as they have run into him, he thinks that they are somewhat schizophrenic, though, he highlights that as they have enjoyed here, they would enjoy it again when back. The land he is living in has been called Cloud Cuckoo Land or fantasy land.
Example #4
Poetry & Displacement by Stan Smith
Armitage’s CloudCuckooLand ostensibly depicts the West Yorkshire village, he calls home, a place, ‘proverbially associated with cuckoos’, according to his book’s blurb. But ‘cloud-cuckoo-land’ is proverbial’ a fantasy location and the cuckoo’s check the ‘proverbial’ figure of a double displacement, dispossessing others by its own self-empowering freedom from origins, occupying the leasehold of some other creatures’ home.
This excerpt occurs in Stan Smith’s book Poetry and Displacement and praises Armitage’s book, Cloud Cuckoo Land, as the best book. It also highlights the reason for its titling as this and comments on the blurb of the book to interpret it further.
Example in Sentences
Example #1: “Children can appear as fools for living in a cloud cuckoo land. But, that’s the tender age to do so before they grow up and see that the world is not nice as they have dreamed.”
Example #2: “When he saw at that sighing cloud cuckoo land, it flutters its wings as if is a giant bird and then almost starts moving as if it is a giant whale.”
Example #3: “Clear crow land or cloud cuckoo land, he is not enamored of any of these terms. He only believes in hard work and knows how to create a cloud cuckoo land.”
Example #4: “As soon as he saw the lush green land, he seems to have reached his cloud cuckoo land. He seemed to be lost in looking at the scene.”
Example #5: “Once you have a career and goal, you have to stop living in your cloud cuckoo land and work hard to make things happen.”
