Prayers for the condemned man will be offered on an adding machine. Numbers constitute the only universal language.
Nathanael WestRead
He smoked a cigarette, standing in the dark and listening to her undress. She made sea sounds; something flapped like a sail; there was the creak of ropes; then he heard the wave-against-a-wharf smack of rubber on flesh. Her call for him to hurry was a sea-moan, and when he lay beside her, she heaved, tidal, moon-driven.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote uses vivid imagery to depict an intimate moment between two people, evoking the sensations of love and desire.
In this quote, Nathanael West beautifully crafts a scene that encapsulates the intricacies of intimacy, blending human connection with the natural elements of the sea. The rich descriptions create a sensory experience that mirrors the emotions of passion and longing between the lovers, depicting how their physical closeness resonates with the rhythmic, powerful motions of the ocean.
Themes
IntimacyPassionLoveOceanConnection
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a romantic speech to highlight the beauty of physical connection and emotional depth.
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All quotes →Art Is a Way Out. Do not let life overwhelm you. When the old paths are choked with the débris of failure, look for newer and fresher paths. Art is just such a path. Art is distilled from suffering.
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He felt as though his heart were a bomb, a complicated bomb that would result in a simple explosion, wrecking the world without rocking it.
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