Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
In my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the enduring memories and emotions associated with past experiences, even after a long time has passed.
Mark Twain's quote highlights the powerful impact of memories that linger with us, suggesting that even though time may pass, the essence of our experiences—such as the beauty of flowers—can remain vivid in our minds. This speaks to the idea that past moments can significantly shape our present emotions and perceptions, emphasizing the connection between memory and the passage of time.
Themes
MemoryNostalgiaFlowersTimeExperience
In practice
Example use cases
In a graduation speech to reflect on the importance of past experiences shaping one's future.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes →The easy part of being an artist is figuring out the message that everyone else is ready to hear. The hard part is waiting for the proper lull to make the announcement.
Mark TwainRead
You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
Mark TwainRead
To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
Mark TwainRead
Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
Mark TwainRead
In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
Mark TwainRead
Similar quotes
You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.
C. S. LewisRead
The genius of a composer is found in the notes of his music; but analyzing the notes will not reveal his genius. The poet's greatness is contained in his words; yet the study of his words will not disclose his inspiration. God reveals himself in creation; but scrutinize creation as minutely as you wish, you will not find God, any more than you will find the soul through careful examination of your body.
Anthony De MelloRead
In the order of literature, as in others, there is no act that is not the coronation of an infinite series of causes and the source of an infinite series of effects.
Jorge Luis BorgesRead
Understanding the simple fact that morality differs around the world, and even within societies, is the first step toward understanding your righteous mind.
Jonathan HaidtRead
RABBLE, n. In a republic, those who exercise a supreme authority tempered by fraudulent elections. The rabble is like the sacred Simurgh, of Arabian fable - omnipotent on condition that it do nothing.
Ambrose BierceRead
I believe there is something going on in a conscious being, which includes many animals, as well as ourselves, that is not a computational activity. And to be conscious at all is not a quality that a computer as such will ever possess - no matter how complicated, no matter how well it plays chess or any of these things.
Roger PenroseRead