This quote is a beautiful metaphor about growth, resilience, and creativity. It suggests that our souls, or our inner selves, are stretched, or challenged, by the pull of opposite poles, or opposing forces or experiences in our lives. These could be good versus bad, happiness versus sadness, success versus failure, and so on. It is through this process of stretching, of experiencing and overcoming adversity, that our souls grow and develop.

The second part of the quote, “And only stretched souls make music”, implies that only after going through such stretching or growth experiences, can we truly express ourselves creatively or artistically. Music here is a metaphor for any form of creative expression. It suggests that our best work, our most profound and moving expressions, come not from a place of comfort and ease, but from a place of struggle and growth.

In today’s world, this quote could be applied in many ways. For example, in personal development, it suggests that we shouldn’t shy away from challenges or difficult experiences, but rather embrace them as opportunities for growth. It also implies that our best work, whether it’s in our careers, our relationships, or our personal pursuits, comes when we’ve been stretched and challenged.

In a broader societal context, it could be seen as a call to embrace diversity and adversity. Our societies are often pulled in different directions by opposing forces – different ideologies, different cultures, different experiences. This quote suggests that it’s through engaging with these differences, rather than avoiding them, that we grow as individuals and as a society. And it’s through this growth that we’re able to create something beautiful and meaningful.