“We learn the rope of life by untying its knots.”
–JEAN TOOMER
Jean Toomer (December 26, 1894 – March 30, 1967) was an American poet and novelist commonly associated with the Harlem Renaissance, though he actively resisted the association, and with modernism. His reputation stems from his novel Cane, which Toomer wrote during and after a stint as a school principal at a black school in rural Sparta, Georgia. Wikipedia
Learning the ropes
Not surprisingly, the origin of the idiom “learn the ropes” is nautical. Before the days of ships powered by steam or fossil fuel, almost all ships had sails. New recruits had to learn how to tie knots and manipulate the ropes that moved the sails to capture wind most effectively; this series of lessons was termed “learning the ropes.”