Forget the buildings and the monuments. Let the softness…
““Forget the buildings and the monuments. Let the softness of dark come in, all those light-years between stars and planets. Cities were the works of men but the earth before and after those cities, outside and beneath and around them, was the dream of a sleeping leviathan--it was god sleeping there and dreaming, the same god that was time and transfiguration. From whatever dreamed the dream at the source, atom or energy, flowed all the miracles of evolution--tiger, tiger burning bright, the massive whales in the deep, luminescent specters in their mystery. The pearls that were their eyes, their tongues that were wet leaves, their bodies that were the bodies of the fantastic. Spectacular bestiaries of heaven, the limbs and tails of the gentle and the fearsome, silent or raging at will . . . they could never be known in every detail and they never should be.””
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 celebrates the vast, unknowable wonders of nature beyond human constructs, emphasizing that the universe is a living dream of a divine force.
In simple terms: Nature’s mysteries surpass human achievements.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and honor the unseen forces shaping life.
Themes
nature
divinity
wonder
humility
Mood
awe
humble
reflective
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- stargazing
- contemplating wilderness
- writing poetry
- environmental activism
Key Concepts
cosmology
mythology
ecology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you connect with the natural world beyond cities?
- What does the idea of a sleeping god suggest about existence?
A Different Perspective
Human knowledge is limited; we may never fully comprehend the cosmos.