There are not many persons who know what wonders are…
““There are not many persons who know what wonders are opened to them in the stories and visions of their youth; for when as children we learn and dream, we think but half-formed thoughts, and when as men we try to remember, we are dulled and prosaic with the poison of life. But some of us awake in the night with strange phantasms of enchanted hills and gardens, of fountains that sing in the sun, of golden cliffs overhanging murmuring seas, of plains that stretch down to sleeping cities of bronze and stone, and of shadowy companies of heroes that ride caparisoned white horses along the edges of thick forests; and then we know that we have looked back through the ivory gates into that world of wonder which was ours before we were wise and unhappy.””
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 how childhood imagination holds vivid, magical visions that fade under adult pragmatism, yet occasional nocturnal dreams revive those forgotten realms of wonder.
In simple terms: Childhood imagination fades, but dreams can revive it.
Key Takeaway
Adult life dulls youthful wonder.
Themes
nostalgia
imagination
dreams
loss
renewal
Mood
melancholic
wonderful
Type
philosophical
poetic
When to use this quote
- reflecting on lost creativity
- seeking inspiration
- nighttime dreaming
Key Concepts
memory
creativity
inner child
Practical Applications
- creative writing
- therapeutic visualization
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we preserve youthful imagination into adulthood?
- What practices help reconnect with forgotten dreams?