Skip to content

The morning of that day, as Gabriel rose and started out…

“The morning of that day, as Gabriel rose and started out to work, the sky was low and nearly black and the air too thick to breath. Late in the afternoon the wind rose, the skies opened, and the rain came. The rain came down as though once more in Heaven the Lord had been persuaded of the good…” quote by James Baldwin
Download Open image
““The morning of that day, as Gabriel rose and started out to work, the sky was low and nearly black and the air too thick to breath. Late in the afternoon the wind rose, the skies opened, and the rain came. The rain came down as though once more in Heaven the Lord had been persuaded of the good uses of a flood. It drove before it the bowed wanderer, clapped children into houses, licked with fearful anger against the high, strong wall, and the wall of the lean-to, and the wall of the cabin, beat against the bark and the leaves of trees, trampled the broad grass, and broke the neck of the flower. The world turned dark, forever, everywhere, and windows ran as though their glass panes bore all the tears of eternity, threatening at every instant to shatter inward against this force, uncontrollable, so abruptly visited on the earth.””

James Baldwin

About This Quote

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

A vivid description of a sudden, overwhelming storm that transforms the world into a chaotic, dark, and fragile place, reflecting the power of nature and existential vulnerability.

In simple terms: A storm turns the world dark and fragile, showing nature’s overwhelming force.

Key Takeaway

Respect nature’s power and seek inner calm during chaos.

Themes

nature chaos fragility existential vulnerability

Mood

awe foreboding reflective

Type

literary philosophical descriptive

When to use this quote

  • travel
  • outdoor work
  • urban life
  • emotional crisis
  • environmental disaster

Key Concepts

storm entropy human vulnerability impermanence

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you find stability when external forces feel uncontrollable?
  • What does the storm symbolize in your personal life?
A Different Perspective

The metaphor may overstate literal weather, ignoring human agency.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by James Baldwin

Explore all 312 James Baldwin quotes

More Rain quotes

Browse all 5,150 Rain quotes