I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.
Virginia WoolfRead
He began to search among the infinite series of impressions which time had laid down, leaf upon leaf, fold upon fold softly, incessantly upon his brain; among scents, sounds; voices, harsh, hollow, sweet; and lights passing, and brooms tapping; and the wash and hush of the sea.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the complex and layered nature of human memory and perception.
Virginia Woolf's quote explores the intricate process of memory, emphasizing how our experiences and sensations accumulate over time. It illustrates the idea that our minds are like books, filled with layers of impressions, each contributing to our understanding of the world, evoking a sense of nostalgia as we sift through memories shaped by various sounds, scents, and sights.
Themes
MemoryImpressionsTimePerceptionExperience
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of preserving memories, this quote can illustrate how our past shapes who we are.
More from Virginia Woolf
All quotes →Death is woven in with the violets,” said Louis. “Death and again death.”)
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I want to think quietly, calmly, spaciously, never to be interrupted, never to have to rise from my chair, to slip easily from one thing to another, without any sense of hostility, or obstacle. I want to sink deeper and deeper, away from the surface, with its hard separate facts.
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I do think all good and evil comes from words. I have to tune myself into a good temper with something musical, and I run to a book as a child to its mother.
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London perpetually attracts, stimulates, gives me a play and a story and a poem, without any trouble, save that of moving my legs through the streets... To walk alone through London is the greatest rest.
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I really don't advise a woman who wants to have things her own way to get married
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