Letter Quote by Ernest Hemingway
““Letter to Bill Smith, 1921 Wish to hell I was going North when you men do. Doubt if I get up this summer-Jo Eezus (Jesus), sometimes I get to thinking about the Sturgeon and Black during the nocturnal and damn near go cuckoo. May have to give it up for something I want more but that does not keep me from loving it with everything I have. Dats de way tings are. Guy loves a couple of or three steams all his life and loves 'em better than anything in the world--falls in love with a girl and the goddamn streams can dry up for all he cares. Only the hell of it is that all that country has as bad a hold on me as ever--there's as much pull this spring as there ever was--and you know how it's always been--just don't think about it all daytime, but at night it comes and ruins me--and I can't go.””
About This Quote
Source Letter: Letter to Bill Smith, 1921, personal correspondence
The writer expresses a conflicted love for nature and a yearning for something beyond, feeling both drawn to and tormented by the environment.
In simple terms: Love for nature clashes with desire for change.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge both passion and longing.
Themes
conflict
yearning
nature
desire
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
personal
literary
confessional
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- creative writing
- journaling
Key Concepts
existential longing
attachment
inner turmoil
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the natural world represent for you?
- How can you honor that love while pursuing new goals?
A Different Perspective
Balancing love for place with personal growth can be painful.
