None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
The life in us is like the water in the river. It may rise this year higher than man has ever known it, and flood the parched uplands; even this may be the eventful year, which will drown out all our muskrats. It was not always dry land where we dwell. I see far inland the banks where the stream anciently washed, before science began to record its freshets.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the ever-changing nature of life, likening it to a river that can rise unexpectedly and change the landscape.
Thoreau compares the fluctuations of life to a river's water levels, suggesting that just as the river can rise and flood areas that were once dry, our experiences can drastically change the conditions of our lives. He reflects on the cyclical nature of existence and the historical changes that have shaped our environment, prompting us to recognize both the power of nature and the transient nature of our own circumstances.
Themes
LifeChangeNatureRiverExperiences
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about resilience, one might say, 'As Thoreau observed, the life in us is like the water in the river, showing us that change is a natural part of existence.'
More from Henry David Thoreau
All quotes →Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
Henry David ThoreauRead
An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
Henry David ThoreauRead
As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
Henry David ThoreauRead
That grand old poem called Winter
Henry David ThoreauRead
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