--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Can I say of her face—altered as I have…" description: "\"“Can I say of her face—altered as I have reason to remember it, perished as I know it is—that it is gone, when here it comes before me at this instant,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/charles-dickens-34_beauty_can-i-say-of-her-face-altered-as-i-have_1655195.jpg" --- # Can I say of her face—altered as I have reason to remember… ![“Can I say of her face—altered as I have reason to remember it, perished as I know it is—that it is gone, when here it comes before me at this instant, as distinct as any face that I may choose to look on in a crowded street? Can I say of her innocent and girlish beauty, that it faded, and was no…” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/charles-dickens-34_beauty_can-i-say-of-her-face-altered-as-i-have_1655195.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/charles-dickens-34_beauty_can-i-say-of-her-face-altered-as-i-have_1655195.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d4/charles-dickens-34_beauty_can-i-say-of-her-face-altered-as-i-have_1655195.jpg) > ““Can I say of her face—altered as I have reason to remember it, perished as I know it is—that it is gone, when here it comes before me at this instant, as distinct as any face that I may choose to look on in a crowded street? Can I say of her innocent and girlish beauty, that it faded, and was no more, when its breath falls on my cheek now, as it fell that night? Can I say she ever changed, when my remembrance brings her back to life, thus only; and, truer to its loving youth than I have been, or man ever is, still holds fast what it cherished then?”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker grapples with memory’s power to preserve a loved one’s image, questioning whether change can ever truly erase the idealized past. **In simple terms:** Memory keeps a loved one unchanged despite time. Key Takeaway Cherish memories but accept change. Themes memory loss idealization time identity Mood melancholic reflective poetic Type literary philosophical emotive When to use this quote - grieving a lost love - reflecting on past relationships - writing memoirs - artistic inspiration Key Concepts nostalgia subjective perception psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance remembering someone with acknowledging they have changed? - Can ideal idealized images hinder personal growth? A Different Perspective Memory may distort reality, preventing true acceptance of change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Changed Remembrance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed-remembrance-697589/) [Face Altered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-altered-697591/) [Nostalgia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nostalgia/) [Remember Perished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-perished-697590/) [Remembrance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembrance/) [Say Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-changed-264981/) ## Related quotes > [You say I changed but no I just stopped listening to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-say-i-changed-but-no-i-just-stopped-listening-to-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you say someone has changed, they just stopped acting the way you want them to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/when-you-say-someone-has-changed-they-just-stopped-acting-the-way-you/) [Author Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-name/) > [As a filmmaker I have changed, yes. 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