Skip to content

A shadow flits before me, Not thou, but like to thee. Ah…

“A shadow flits before me, Not thou, but like to thee. Ah, Christ, that it were possible For one short hour to see The souls we loved, that they might tell us What and where they be! —ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON, Maud, 1855.” quote by Margaret Atwood
Download Open image
““A shadow flits before me, Not thou, but like to thee. Ah, Christ, that it were possible For one short hour to see The souls we loved, that they might tell us What and where they be! —ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON, Maud, 1855.””

Margaret Atwood

About This Quote

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

Expresses longing to briefly reunite with loved ones beyond death, seeking answers about their souls.

In simple terms: Wishes for a brief glimpse of departed loved ones.

Key Takeaway

Seek closure through memory and reflection.

Themes

loss longing spirituality memory

Mood

melancholic contemplative

Type

poetic reflective

When to use this quote

  • memorial services
  • personal mourning
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

afterlife grief poetic yearning

Questions to Reflect On

  • What would you ask a departed loved one?
  • How do you honor their memory daily?
A Different Perspective

May idealize afterlife without addressing grief process.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Margaret Atwood

Explore all 2,072 Margaret Atwood quotes

More Shadow quotes

Browse all 3,665 Shadow quotes