We are but skin about a wind, with muscles clenched…
““We are but skin about a wind, with muscles clenched against mortality. We sleep in a long reproachful dust against ourselves. We are full to the gorge with our own names for misery. Life, the pastures in which the night feeds and prunes the cud that nourishes us to despair. Life, the permission to know death. We were created that the earth might be made sensible of her inhuman taste; and love that the body might be so dear that even the earth should roar with it. Yes, we who are full to the gorge with misery should look well around, doubting everything seen, done, spoken, precisely because we have a word for it, and not its alchemy.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage reflects on human fragility, mortality, and the paradox of finding meaning through suffering and love, urging skepticism toward accepted truths.
In simple terms: Human life is fragile, suffering can reveal meaning, and love makes existence profound.
Key Takeaway
Embrace doubt, seek depth beyond surface.
Themes
mortality
existentialism
love
skepticism
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- artistic creation
- philosophical debate
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
nihilism
human condition
transcendence
Questions to Reflect On
- How does acknowledging mortality change your priorities?
- What role does love play in confronting suffering?
A Different Perspective
The poetic language may obscure practical guidance for everyday decisions.