Skip to content

Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake…

“Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the Devil’s foot. Teach me to hear the mermaids singing, Or to keep off envy’s stinging, And find What wind Serves to advance an honest mind. Decide what this is about Write a second verse…” quote by Diana Wynne Jones
Download Open image
““Go and catch a falling star, Get with child a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the Devil’s foot. Teach me to hear the mermaids singing, Or to keep off envy’s stinging, And find What wind Serves to advance an honest mind. Decide what this is about Write a second verse yourself””

Diana Wynne Jones

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker asks for impossible, fantastical knowledge, urging the listener to create their own continuation, blending curiosity with creative agency.

In simple terms: Ask for impossible things and write your own ending.

Key Takeaway

Seek wonder, then craft your own story.

Themes

imagination quest creation mythology

Mood

inspired playful

Type

poetic creative

When to use this quote

  • writing workshops
  • creative brainstorming
  • storytelling sessions

Key Concepts

fantasy creative writing self‑authorship exploration

Questions to Reflect On

  • What impossible knowledge would you pursue?
  • How do you finish a story you didn’t start?
A Different Perspective

The request is absurd, making practical guidance unclear.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Diana Wynne Jones

Explore all 232 Diana Wynne Jones quotes

More Children quotes

Browse all 62,396 Children quotes