They are all alike you know. They hold their tongues for years and you think you're safe, but when the opportunity comes they remember everything.
Edith WhartonRead
She seemed to melt against him in her terror, and he caught her in his arms, held her fast there, felt her lashes beat his cheek like netted butterflies.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote captures an intimate moment of vulnerability and connection between two individuals.
In this quote, Edith Wharton portrays a profound moment of tenderness between a couple, emphasizing the deep emotional bond that can emerge in times of fear and uncertainty. The imagery of her melting against him signifies a surrender to trust and comfort, while the comparison of her lashes to netted butterflies evokes the fragility and beauty of their connection in that moment.
Themes
LoveIntimacyVulnerabilityConnectionTrust
In practice
Example use cases
During a wedding toast to celebrate the couple's love.
More from Edith Wharton
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And I wonder, among all the tangles of this mortal coil, which one contains tighter knots to undo, & consequently suggests more tugging, & pain, & diversified elements of misery, than the marriage tie.
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As he paid the hansom and followed his wife's long train into the house he took refuge in the comforting platitude that the first six months were always the most difficult in marriage. 'After that I suppose we shall have pretty nearly finished rubbing off each otherβs angles,' he reflected; but the worst of it was that May's pressure was already bearing on the very angles whose sharpness he most wanted to keep
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There are two ways to spread happiness; either be the light who shines it or be the mirror who reflects it.
Edith WhartonRead
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