Skip to content

They were galloping...Bare level plain had taken the place…

“They were galloping...Bare level plain had taken the place of the scrub and they'd been cantering briskly, the foals prancing delightedly ahead, when suddenly the dog was a shoulder-shrugging streaking fleece, and as their mares almost imperceptibly fell into the long untrammelled undulating…” quote by Malcolm Lowry
Download Open image
““They were galloping...Bare level plain had taken the place of the scrub and they'd been cantering briskly, the foals prancing delightedly ahead, when suddenly the dog was a shoulder-shrugging streaking fleece, and as their mares almost imperceptibly fell into the long untrammelled undulating strides, Hugh felt the sense of change, the keen elemental pleasure one experienced too on board a ship which, leaving the choppy waters of the estuary, gives way to the pitch and swing of the open sea. A faint carillon of bells sounded in the distance, rising and falling, sinking back as if into the very substance of the day. Judas had forgotten; nay, Judas had been, somehow, redeemed.””

Malcolm Lowry

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 uses vivid equestrian imagery to convey a sudden, exhilarating shift in perception, likening it to the freedom of sailing from a confined estuary to the open sea.

In simple terms: A sudden, exhilarating change in perspective is described.

Key Takeaway

Embrace moments of profound change.

Themes

change freedom perception nature journey

Mood

reflective poetic introspective

Type

literary philosophical emotional

When to use this quote

  • travel
  • personal growth
  • creative inspiration
  • emotional awakening

Key Concepts

transformation sensory experience literary metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does the “change” feel like to you?
  • How can you seek similar moments of freedom?
A Different Perspective

The intense metaphor may overwhelm readers unfamiliar with lyrical prose.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Malcolm Lowry

Explore all 78 Malcolm Lowry quotes

More Galloping quotes

Browse all 63 Galloping quotes