He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy. He never dreamed about the boy. He simply woke, looked out the open door at the moon and unrolled his trousers and put them on.
A girl came in the cafe and sat by herself at a table near the window. She was very pretty with a face fresh as a newly minted coin if they minted coins in smooth flesh with rain-freshened skin, and her hair black as a crow's wing and cut sharply and diagonally across her cheek.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote describes the beauty and uniqueness of a girl in a cafe, highlighting her features in a poetic manner.
In this quote, Ernest Hemingway paints a vivid picture of a young woman's beauty as she sits alone in a cafe. The use of striking imagery, such as comparing her face to a freshly minted coin and her hair to a crow's wing, not only emphasizes her attractiveness but also evokes a sense of freshness and vitality, making her stand out in an ordinary setting. Hemingway's attention to detail invites readers to appreciate the subtleties of beauty in everyday life and suggests an appreciation for the aesthetic experience.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote in a discussion about artistry in literature.
More from Ernest Hemingway
All quotes →How did you go bankrupt?" Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.
When you have shot one bird flying you have shot all birds flying. They are all different and they fly in different ways but the sensation is the same and the last one is as good as the first.
There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.
Wine is the most civilized thing in the world.
There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.
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One has a nose. The nose scents and it chooses. An artist is simply a kind of pig snouting truffles.
Life is a shitstorm, in which art is our only umbrella." (spoken by character in a novel by Mario Vargas Llosa)
It is comparatively easy to become a writer; staying a writer, resisting formulaic work, generating ones own creativity - thats a much tougher matter.