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Forest Quote by Algernon Blackwood

“[S]he realized quite abruptly that this thing which took him off, which kept him out so many hours day after day, this thing that was against her own little will and instincts—was enormous as the sea. It was no mere prettiness of single Trees, but something massed and mountainous. About her rose…” quote by Algernon Blackwood
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““[S]he realized quite abruptly that this thing which took him off, which kept him out so many hours day after day, this thing that was against her own little will and instincts—was enormous as the sea. It was no mere prettiness of single Trees, but something massed and mountainous. About her rose the wall of its huge opposition to the sky, its scale gigantic, its power utterly prodigious. What she knew of it hitherto as green and delicate forms waving and rustling in the winds was but, as it were the spray of foam that broke into sight upon the nearer edge of viewless depths far, far away. The trees, indeed, were sentinels set visibly about the limits of a camp that itself remained invisible. The awful hum and murmur of the main body in the distance passed into that still room about her with the firelight and hissing kettle. Out yonder—in the Forest further out—the thing that was ever roaring at the center was dreadfully increasing.””

Algernon Blackwood

About This Quote

Source Short story: The Willows, 1907

A woman confronts an overwhelming, mysterious natural force that dwarfs her understanding, evoking awe and terror.

In simple terms: She faces a vast, unknown natural power.

Key Takeaway

Respect nature’s unknown magnitude.

Themes

awe terror nature

Mood

awe introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • hiking
  • environmental activism
  • spiritual retreats
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

the sublime cosmic insignificance

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you react to nature’s grandeur?
  • What can we learn from feeling small?
A Different Perspective

Human perception can be limited, making the unknown feel threatening.

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