--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At the time of Lewis and Clark, setting…" description: "\"“At the time of Lewis and Clark, setting the prairies on fire was a well-known signal that meant, ‘Come down to the water.’ It was an extravagant gestu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/400/annie-dillard-509_beauty-in-nature_at-the-time-of-lewis-and-clark-setting-t_554244.jpg" --- # At the time of Lewis and Clark, setting the prairies on… ![“At the time of Lewis and Clark, setting the prairies on fire was a well-known signal that meant, ‘Come down to the water.’ It was an extravagant gesture, but we can’t do less. If the landscape reveals one certainty, it is that the extravagant gesture is the very stuff of creation. After the…” quote by Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/400/annie-dillard-509_beauty-in-nature_at-the-time-of-lewis-and-clark-setting-t_554244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/400/annie-dillard-509_beauty-in-nature_at-the-time-of-lewis-and-clark-setting-t_554244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/400/annie-dillard-509_beauty-in-nature_at-the-time-of-lewis-and-clark-setting-t_554244.jpg) > ““At the time of Lewis and Clark, setting the prairies on fire was a well-known signal that meant, ‘Come down to the water.’ It was an extravagant gesture, but we can’t do less. If the landscape reveals one certainty, it is that the extravagant gesture is the very stuff of creation. After the extravagant gesture of creation in the first place, the universe has continued to deal exclusively in extravagances, flinging intricacies and colossi down aeons of emptiness, heaping profusions on profligacies with ever fresh vigor. The whole show has been on fire from the word go. I come down to the water to cool my eyes. But everywhere I look, I see fire: that which isn’t flint is tinder, and the whole world sparks and flames.”” [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote celebrates the universe’s inherent extravagance and constant creative fire, urging us to recognize and join its dynamic energy. **In simple terms:** The world is full of bold, creative forces that shape existence. Key Takeaway Embrace boldness and seek the deeper currents of life. Themes creativity nature existence energy transformation Mood awe inspired reflective Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - personal reflection - artistic inspiration - environmental awareness Key Concepts cosmology symbolism metaphor Questions to Reflect On - How do you channel creative energy responsibly? - What “fire” fuels your purpose? A Different Perspective The metaphor may over‑romanticize chaos, ignoring practical limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty-in-nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty-in-nature/) [Come Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-water-301656/) [Creation Extravagant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation-extravagant-4607455/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Flames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flames/) [Landscape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/landscape/) [Lewis and clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lewis-and-clark/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Setting Prairies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting-prairies-4607456/) [Sparks Flames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sparks-flames-743738/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Whole world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-world/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [I come down to the water to cool my eyes. But everywhere I look I see fire; that which isn't flint is tinder, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-come-down-to-the-water-to-cool-my-eyes-but-everywhere-i-look-i-see/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“The universe has continued to deal in extravagances, flinging intricacies and colossi down eons of emptiness, heaping profusions on profligacies with ever-fresh vigor. 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People are always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-marsh/i-think-observers-like-me-sometimes-know-more-about-a-place-than-the/) [Jean Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-marsh/) > [“What does Africa — what does the West stand for? 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I am aging and eaten and have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-am-a-frayed-and-nibbled-survivor-in-a-fallen-world-and-i-am-getting/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [It should surprise no one that the life of the writer - such as it is - is colorless to the point of sensory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-should-surprise-no-one-that-the-life-of-the-writer-such-as-it-is/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/it-is-madness-to-wear-ladies-straw-hats-and-velvet-hats-to-church-we/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [The sense impressions of one-celled animals are not edited for the brain. This is philosophically interesting in a rather mournful way, since it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-sense-impressions-of-one-celled-animals-are-not-edited-for-the/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“What can we make of the inexpressible joy of children? It is a kind of gratitude, I think—the gratitude of the ten-year-old who wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/what-can-we-make-of-the-inexpressible-joy-of-children-it-is-a-kind-of/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“If we were to judge nature by its common sense or likelihood, we wouldn't believe the world existed. 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