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The mountains of the Great Divide are not, as everyone…

“The mountains of the Great Divide are not, as everyone knows, born treeless, though we always think of them as above timberline with the eternal snows on their heads. They wade up through ancient forests and plunge into canyons tangled up with water-courses and pause in little gem-like valleys and…” quote by Wallace Stegner
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““The mountains of the Great Divide are not, as everyone knows, born treeless, though we always think of them as above timberline with the eternal snows on their heads. They wade up through ancient forests and plunge into canyons tangled up with water-courses and pause in little gem-like valleys and march attended by loud winds across the high plateaus, but all such incidents of the lower world they leave behind them when they begin to strip for the skies: like the Holy Ones of old, they go up alone and barren of all circumstance to meet their transfiguration.””

Wallace Stegner

About This Quote

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

Mountains ascend from forests to barren peaks, shedding lower world ties to become transformed.

In simple terms: Mountains rise, shedding lower world to become higher.

Key Takeaway

Embrace change and rise above surroundings.

Themes

nature transformation solitude journey

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical poetic

When to use this quote

  • mountain climbing
  • environmental education
  • personal growth
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

Ecology spiritual metaphor growth

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can we apply the idea of shedding past constraints to personal growth?
  • What does “transfiguration” mean in a modern context?
A Different Perspective

The metaphor may oversimplify complex ecological processes.

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