Bohemia is nothing more than the little country in which you do not live. If you try to obtain citizenship in it, at once the court and retinue pack the royal archives and treasure and move away beyond the hills.
O. HenryRead
The most notable thing about Time is that it is so purely relative. A large amount of reminiscence is, by common consent, conceded to the drowning man; and it is not past belief that one may review an entire courtship while removing one's gloves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Time is subjective and can feel different based on circumstances and experiences.
In this quote, O. Henry explores the concept of time and its relativity, suggesting that our perception of time can vary dramatically based on our emotional and situational context. For instance, when faced with life-threatening situations, such as drowning, individuals may experience a rush of memories and reflections, whereas mundane activities, like putting on gloves, can feel elongated and filled with thoughts, illustrating the complex ways we engage with time.
Themes
TimeRelativityPerceptionMemories
In practice
Example use cases
This quote would be perfect for a discussion on the nature of time in a philosophy class.
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All quotes →It's said that love makes the world go around. Let me tell you, the announcement lacks verification. It's the wind from the dinner horn that does it.
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Yes, I get dry spells. Sometimes I can't turn out a thing for three months. When one of those spells comes on I quit trying to work and go out and see something of life. You can't write a story that's got any life in it by sitting at a writing table and thinking. You've got to get out into the streets, into the crowds, talk with people, and feel the rush and throb of real life-that's the stimulant for a story writer.
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But the best, in my opinion, was the home life in the little flat--the ardent, voluble chats after the day's study; the cozy dinners and fresh, light breakfasts; the interchange of ambitions--ambitions interwoven each with the other's or else inconsiderable--the mutual help and inspiration; and--overlook my artlessness--stuffed olives and cheese sandwiches at 11 p.m.
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You can't appreciate home till you've left it, money till it's spent, your wife till she's joined a woman's club, nor Old Glory till you see it hanging on a broomstick on the shanty of a consul in a foreign town.
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She had become so thoroughly annealed into his life that she was like the air he breathed--necessary but scarcely noticed.
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