also in the boom of the big bell there is a quaintness of…
““also in the boom of the big bell there is a quaintness of tone which wakens feelings, so strangely far-away from all the nineteenth-century part of me, that the faint blind stirrings of them make me afraid, - deliciously afraid. never do I hear that billowing peal but I become aware of a striving and a fluttering in the abyssal part of my ghost, - a sensation as of memories struggling to reach the light beyond the obscurations of a million million deaths and births. I hope to remain within hearing of that bell... and, considering the possibility of being doomed to the state of a jiki-ketsu-geki, I want to have my chance of being reborn in some bamboo flower-cup, or mizutame, whence I might issue softly, singing my thin and pungent song, to bite some people that I know.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The bell’s distant tone evokes deep, haunting memories and a yearning for rebirth, mixing awe with fear.
In simple terms: A bell triggers profound, bittersweet reflections on life and renewal.
Key Takeaway
Embrace unsettling feelings as catalysts for growth.
Themes
memory
rebirth
fear
beauty
Mood
melancholic
hopeful
introspective
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- night walks
- list listening
- creative writing
- meditative contemplation
- artistic inspiration
Key Concepts
existential reflection
nostalgia
spiritual awakening
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal “bells” awaken you?
- How can you transform fear into creative energy?
A Different Perspective
The abstract imagery may be hard to translate into concrete action.