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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the intense, pure love that keeps one's passion in check, emphasizing respect and purity over physical desire.
In this quote, Victor Hugo illustrates a moment of transcendent love experienced by Marius, who, despite his deep feelings for Cosette, refrains from acting upon his passions. The description highlights the conflict between physical attraction and the purity of love, emphasizing that true love involves feelings of reverence and respect, which can lead to silence in the presence of ecstasy.
Themes
LovePassionRespectPurityEcstasy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared in a romantic context to emphasize the depth of pure love.
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.
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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.
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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!
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There are no weeds, and no worthless men. There are only bad farmers.
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