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The glee of it. The ecstasy of It. I can't speak about…

“The glee of it. The ecstasy of It. I can't speak about this It because I know no word. It is just there, It is always there, like death in life. In this instant I know that something terrible is rising that must be seized and turned back upon itself before it twists outward into violence. But that…” quote by Peter Matthiessen
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““The glee of it. The ecstasy of It. I can't speak about this It because I know no word. It is just there, It is always there, like death in life. In this instant I know that something terrible is rising that must be seized and turned back upon itself before it twists outward into violence. But that knowing always comes too late, a wild unraveling is under way and I am caught up in it like a coyote seen late one afternoon in an Arkansas tornado-a toy dog spinning skyward, struck white by a ray of sun against black clouds, then black, then white, then gone and lost forever. The wind dies. A dead stillness. Mirror water. That ecstasy that shivered every nerve replaced by the precise knowing that what this self perpetrated is as much a part of the universal will as erupting lava that subsides once more into the inner earth.””

Peter Matthiessen

About This Quote

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

Intense moments can feel both ecstatic and terrifying, hinting at a deeper, uncontrollable force within.

In simple terms: Powerful moments are both beautiful and dangerous.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and channel intense emotions.

Themes

intensity duality inner conflict

Mood

intense reflective

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • creative writing
  • personal crisis
  • artistic inspiration
  • meditation

Key Concepts

existentialism psychology spirituality

Questions to Reflect On

  • What inner forces drive your most intense moments?
  • How can you transform chaos into insight?
A Different Perspective

Such experiences may be fleeting and hard to articulate.

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