The deep joy we take in the company of people with whom we have just recently fallen in love is undisguisable.
John CheeverRead
The world that was not mine yesterday now lies spread out at my feet, a splendor. I seem, in the middle of the night, to have returned to the world of apples, the orchards of Heaven. Perhaps I should take my problems to a shrink, or perhaps I should enjoy the apples that I have, streaked with color like the evening sky.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects a sense of newfound appreciation for life and the beauty it holds, contrasting personal struggles with the joy found in simple pleasures.
In this quote, John Cheever expresses a transformation in perspective, illuminating how a person's view of the world can change dramatically in a short time. He juxtaposes the weight of his problems with the vibrant imagery of apples and the orchards of Heaven, suggesting that despite life’s challenges, there is an abundance of beauty and splendor to be appreciated, especially in moments of reflection.
Themes
AppreciationBeautyPerspectiveLifeProblems
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a motivational seminar to inspire attendees to focus on the positives in their lives.
More from John Cheever
All quotes →For me a page of good prose is where one hears the rain. A page of good prose is when one hears the noise of battle.... A page of good prose seems to me the most serious dialogue that well-informed and intelligent men and women carry on today in their endeavor to make sure that the fires of this planet burn peaceably.
John CheeverRead
For me, a page of good prose is where one hears the rain and the noise of battle. It has the power to give grief or universality that lends it a youthful beauty.
John CheeverRead
What I am going to write is the last of what I have to say. I will say that literature is the only consciousness we possess and that its role as consciousness must inform us of our ability to comprehend the hideous danger of nuclear power.
John CheeverRead
Art is the triumph over chaos.
John CheeverRead
The short story is the literature of the nomad.
John CheeverRead
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