Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing.
Kenneth GrahameRead
But Mole stood still a moment, held in thought. As one wakened suddenly from a beautiful dream, who struggles to recall it, but can recapture nothing but a dim sense of the beauty in it, the beauty! Till that, too, fades away in its turn, and the dreamer bitterly accepts the hard, cold waking and all its penalties.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the fleeting nature of beauty and dreams, contrasting the comfort of dreams with the harsh realities of waking life.
In this quote, Kenneth Grahame captures the essence of how beautiful dreams can evoke strong emotions and memories that are often ephemeral. The character's moment of reflection highlights the struggle to hold onto the beauty and joy of these dreams, which ultimately fade away, leaving behind the stark realities of life and its inherent challenges. This poignant imagery illustrates the tension between the idealized world of dreams and the sometimes harsh truths we face upon waking.
Themes
DreamsBeautyRealityWakingLife
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a discussion on the importance of pursuing our dreams despite life's challenges.
More from Kenneth Grahame
All quotes →Take the adventure, heed the call, now ere the irrevocable moment passes! 'Tis but a banging of the door behind you, a blithesome step forward, and you are out of your old life and into the new!
Kenneth GrahameRead
Then suddenly the Mole felt a great Awe fall upon him, an awe that turned his muscles to water, bowed his head, and rooted his feet to the ground. It was no panic terror - indeed he felt wonderfully at peace and happy - but it was an awe that smote and held him and, without seeing, he knew it could only mean that some august presence was very, very near.
Kenneth GrahameRead
There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.
Kenneth GrahameRead
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