It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
You say, "Where goest Thou?" I cannot tell, And still go on. But if the way be straight I cannot go amiss: before me lies Dawn and the day: the night behind me: that Suffices me: I break the bounds: I see, And nothing more; believe and nothing less. My future is not one of my concerns.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The speaker expresses a sense of uncertainty about the future but finds contentment in the present journey.
In this quote, Victor Hugo reflects on the nature of life's journey and the importance of simply moving forward without being overly concerned about the destination. He acknowledges the unknown future, represented by the dawn and day ahead, while appreciating the clarity of the present moment. The imagery evokes a sense of liberation as he embraces the unknown, suggesting that the act of believing and living in the moment is more valuable than worrying about what lies ahead.
Themes
JourneyFuturePresentLifeBelieve
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a motivational speaking event to encourage embracing the journey of life.
More from Victor Hugo
All quotes →When two mouths, made sacred by love, draw near to each other to create, it is impossible, that above that ineffable kiss there should not be a thrill in the immense mystery of the stars.
Victor HugoRead
At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosette’s dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
Victor HugoRead
Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
Victor HugoRead
Taste is the common sense of genius.
Victor HugoRead
Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
Victor HugoRead
Similar quotes
When we turn to one another for counsel we reduce the number of our enemies.
Khalil GibranRead
What's this war in the heart of Nature? Why does Nature vie with itself? The Land contend with the Sea? Is there an avenging power in Nature? Not one power, but two?
Terrence MalickRead
Man is diminished if he lives without knowledge of his past; without hope of a future he becomes a beast.
P. D. JamesRead
Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
Lord ActonRead
The big message of gospel is that you don't have to keep fighting the universe; you can stop, and the universe is quite good to you. There is a loss of ego.
Brian EnoRead
The thing to do is to concentrate on the seer and not on the seen, not on the objects, but on the Light which reveals them.
Ramana MaharshiRead