---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That was in nineteen and thirty-one and…"
description: "\"“That was in nineteen and thirty-one and if I live to be a hunnerd year old I don't think I'll ever see anything as pretty as that train on fire goin u..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/cormac-mccarthy-181_quote_that-was-in-nineteen-and-thirty-one-and_1530770.jpg"
---

#  That was in nineteen and thirty-one and if I live to be a…

![“That was in nineteen and thirty-one and if I live to be a hunnerd year old I don't think I'll ever see anything as pretty as that train on fire goin up that mountain and around that bend and then flames lightin up the snow and the trees and the night.” quote by Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/cormac-mccarthy-181_quote_that-was-in-nineteen-and-thirty-one-and_1530770.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/cormac-mccarthy-181_quote_that-was-in-nineteen-and-thirty-one-and_1530770.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b50/cormac-mccarthy-181_quote_that-was-in-nineteen-and-thirty-one-and_1530770.jpg)

> ““That was in nineteen and thirty-one and if I live to be a hunnerd year old I don't think I'll ever see anything as pretty as that train on fire goin up that mountain and around that bend and then flames lightin up the snow and the trees and the night.””

[Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/)

## About This Quote

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

A vivid, chaotic scene of a burning train on a mountain evokes awe and terror.

**In simple terms:** A train ablaze on a mountain is unforgettable.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the power of striking imagery.

Themes

nature destruction beauty chaos

Mood

intense dramatic

Type

literary descriptive

When to use this quote

- mountain hikes
- firefighting
- film direction
- creative writing

Key Concepts

visual storytelling poetic description

Questions to Reflect On

- What emotions does this scene stir?
- How does vivid description affect your perception of danger?

A Different Perspective

Such extreme imagery may overwhelm or alienate some audiences.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Flames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flames/) [Flames Lightin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flames-lightin-5679145/) [Hunnerd Year](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunnerd-year-5679146/) [Nineteen Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nineteen-thirty-2300914/) [Thirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirty/)

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> [A thing of orchestrated hell-a terrible symphony of light and flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-r-murrow/a-thing-of-orchestrated-hell-a-terrible-symphony-of-light-and-flame/)

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> [The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-sectaries-of-a-persecuted-religion-depressed-by-fear-animated/)

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> [A real flame of love is a subtle thing. It burns as a will-o'-the-wisp, dancing onward to fairy lands of delight. It roars as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/a-real-flame-of-love-is-a-subtle-thing-it-burns-as-a-will-o-the-wisp/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [I hate playing games. I want love where there's actual flames.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hate-playing-games-i-want-love-where-there-s-actual-flames/)

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> [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/)

[John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/)

## More by Cormac McCarthy

> [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/)

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