Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.
Zelda FitzgeraldRead
It seemed to Alabama that, reaching her goal, she would drive the devils that had driven her - that, in proving herself, she would achieve that peace which she imagined went only in surety of one’s self - that she would be able, through the medium of the dance, to command her emotions, to summon love or pity or happiness at will, having provided a channel through which they might flow. She drove herself mercilessly, and the summer dragged on.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the struggle for self-empowerment and emotional mastery through personal achievement.
In this quote, Zelda Fitzgerald illustrates the internal conflict of a woman striving to reach her goals while battling her own demons. She believes that by achieving success and mastering her emotions through dance, she can attain a sense of peace and control over her life, yet the relentless pursuit of these aspirations leads to a rather merciless self-discipline, hinting at the toll such ambitions can take on one's well-being.
Themes
Self-EmpowermentEmotionsDanceAchievementPeace
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about overcoming personal barriers.
More from Zelda Fitzgerald
All quotes →She refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring.
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The night you gave me my birthday party... you were a young Lieutenant and I was a fragrant phantom, wasn't I? And it was a radiant night, a night of soft conspiracy and the trees agreed that it was all going to be for the best.
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A southern moon is a sodden moon, and sultry. When it swamps the fields and the rustling sandy roads and the sticky honeysuckle hedges in its sweet stagnation, your fight to hold on to reality is like a protestation against a first waft of ether.
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There seemed to be some heavenly support beneath his shoulder blades that lifted his feet from the ground in ecstatic suspension, as if he secretly enjoyed the ability to fly but was walking as a compromise to convention.
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I remember every single spot of light that ever gouged a shadow beside your bones.
Zelda FitzgeraldRead
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