---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Letter to Bill Smith, 1921 Wish to hell I…"
description: "\"“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..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/ernest-hemingway-83_quote_letter-to-bill-smith-1921-wish-to-hell-i_718261.jpg"
---

#  Letter to Bill Smith, 1921 Wish to hell I was going North…

![“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…” quote by Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/ernest-hemingway-83_quote_letter-to-bill-smith-1921-wish-to-hell-i_718261.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/ernest-hemingway-83_quote_letter-to-bill-smith-1921-wish-to-hell-i_718261.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/095/ernest-hemingway-83_quote_letter-to-bill-smith-1921-wish-to-hell-i_718261.jpg)

> ““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.””

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

## About This Quote

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

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.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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