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It was a pain and an unrest; and it received easement only…

“It was a pain and an unrest; and it received easement only by the touch of the new god's presence. At such times love was joy to him, a wild, keen–thrilling satisfaction. But when away from his god, the pain and the unrest returned; the void in him sprang up and pressed against him with its…” quote by Jack London
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““It was a pain and an unrest; and it received easement only by the touch of the new god's presence. At such times love was joy to him, a wild, keen–thrilling satisfaction. But when away from his god, the pain and the unrest returned; the void in him sprang up and pressed against him with its emptiness, and the hunger gnawed and gnawed unceasingly.””

Jack London

About This Quote

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

Intense longing for divine presence brings both ecstasy and suffering; absence creates a painful void.

In simple terms: Divine love brings joy and pain when absent.

Key Takeaway

Seek balance between yearning and presence.

Themes

spirituality longing emptiness

Mood

intense reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • religious experience
  • literary analysis
  • personal crisis

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology of desire

Questions to Reflect On

  • What fills the void when divine presence is absent?
  • Can joy exist without pain?
A Different Perspective

The view may idealize suffering as necessary.

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