--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He had waited five years and bought a…" description: "\"He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths - so that he could 'come over' some afternoon to a stranger'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_afternoon_he-had-waited-five-years-and-bought-a-ma_2109616.jpg" --- # He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he… ![“He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths - so that he could 'come over' some afternoon to a stranger's garden.” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_afternoon_he-had-waited-five-years-and-bought-a-ma_2109616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_afternoon_he-had-waited-five-years-and-bought-a-ma_2109616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/379/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_afternoon_he-had-waited-five-years-and-bought-a-ma_2109616.jpg) > “He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths - so that he could 'come over' some afternoon to a stranger's garden.” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Romantic longing is expressed through symbolic gestures of light and invitation. **In simple terms:** He offers light to strangers. Key Takeaway Create moments of generosity to connect with others. Themes loneliness romance generosity Mood melancholic hopeful Type literary metaphorical When to use this quote - social gatherings - art installations - personal outreach - community events Key Concepts symbolism artistic expression human connection Questions to Reflect On - What does “dispensing starlight” symbolize for you? - How can you offer light without expectation? A Different Perspective Gestures may be misinterpreted or feel insincere. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afternoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon/) [Bought Mansion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bought-mansion-4252627/) [Casual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casual/) [Casual Moths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casual-moths-2746937/) [Dispensed Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dispensed-starlight-2746936/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garden/) [Mansion Dispensed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mansion-dispensed-4252628/) [Moths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moths/) [Moths Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moths-come-4252629/) [Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starlight/) [Stranger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stranger/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [He dispensed starlight to casual moths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-dispensed-starlight-to-casual-moths/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What a wonderful song, she thought-everything was wonderful tonight, most of all this romantic scene in the den with their hands clinging and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-a-wonderful-song-she-thought-everything-was-wonderful-tonight/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Amory took to writing poetry on spring afternoons, in the gardens of the big estates near Princeton, while swans made effective atmosphere in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/amory-took-to-writing-poetry-on-spring-afternoons-in-the-gardens-of/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was the starlight set upon the brilliant darkness; and there were her pale cool cheeks, and he let himself be lost in love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-the-starlight-set-upon-the-brilliant-darkness-and-there/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, starlight and dewdrop are waiting for thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-foster/beautiful-dreamer-wake-unto-me-starlight-and-dewdrop-are-waiting-for/) [Stephen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-foster/) > [The Brother's hood fell back, and his silvery hair shone out in the dim chamber like starlight. All the air rushed out of Tessa's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/the-brother-s-hood-fell-back-and-his-silvery-hair-shone-out-in-the/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Feels like coming home after traveling a million miles. I am not alone. Searching for the starlight in the darkest skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerli/feels-like-coming-home-after-traveling-a-million-miles-i-am-not-alone/) [Kerli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerli/) > [“Let the red dawn surmise What we shall do, When this blue starlight dies And all is through.” (The Yellow Sign)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-w-chambers/let-the-red-dawn-surmise-what-we-shall-do-when-this-blue-starlight/) [Robert W. Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-w-chambers/) > [A hundred years ago, Auguste Compte, ... a great philosopher, said that humans will never be able to visit the stars, that we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/a-hundred-years-ago-auguste-compte-a-great-philosopher-said-that/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [Three young cats with starlight in their eyes and the whisper of ancient wind in their fur." -Rock, Cats of the Clans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/three-young-cats-with-starlight-in-their-eyes-and-the-whisper-of/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [“That made me sad. Sure, sirens are a pain in the ass, but how could he not see all the beauty that was out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-rose-clarke/that-made-me-sad-sure-sirens-are-a-pain-in-the-ass-but-how-could-he/) [Cassandra Rose Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-rose-clarke/) > [“Of course Kim had buggered off as unpredictably as he'd appeared, because he was an untrustworthy shit and a lord. There had never been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-j-charles/of-course-kim-had-buggered-off-as-unpredictably-as-he-d-appeared/) [K.J. Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-j-charles/) > [Mathematics has the inhuman quality of starlight, brilliant and sharp, but cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-weyl/mathematics-has-the-inhuman-quality-of-starlight-brilliant-and-sharp/) [Hermann Weyl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-weyl/) > [And a softness came from the starlight and filled me full to the bone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-softness-came-from-the-starlight-and-filled-me-full-to-the-bone/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is moonlight. Alone in the silence I ascend my stairs once more, While waves remote in pale blue starlight Crash on a white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-aiken/it-is-moonlight-alone-in-the-silence-i-ascend-my-stairs-once-more/) [Conrad Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-aiken/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More Afternoon quotes > [I didn't grow up thinking of movies as film, or art, but as movies, something to do on a Saturday afternoon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-didn-t-grow-up-thinking-of-movies-as-film-or-art-but-as-movies/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [My dental hygienist is cute. Every time I visit, I eat a whole package of Oreo cookies while waiting in the lobby. Sometimes she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/my-dental-hygienist-is-cute-every-time-i-visit-i-eat-a-whole-package/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [Honestly, I'm living my fantasy. It's being with my family, preferably on a snowy afternoon with a fire going, cuddled up in blankets, playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meredith-vieira/honestly-i-m-living-my-fantasy-it-s-being-with-my-family-preferably/) [Meredith Vieira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meredith-vieira/) > [It was a very intense and stressful situation. There was playing in the Johnny-pump (an opened fire hydrant) and the ice-cream man coming around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/it-was-a-very-intense-and-stressful-situation-there-was-playing-in/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Sunday afternoon is for papers and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-haslam/sunday-afternoon-is-for-papers-and-writing/) [Nicholas Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-haslam/) > [I think that if most guys in America could somehow get their fave-rave poster girl in bed and have total license to do whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/i-think-that-if-most-guys-in-america-could-somehow-get-their-fave/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [“If you come at four in the afternoon, I'll begin to be happy by three.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-come-at-four-in-the-afternoon-i-ll-begin-to-be-happy-by-three/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [At five in the afternoon. It was exactly five in the afternoon. A boy brought the white sheet at five in the afternoon. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/at-five-in-the-afternoon-it-was-exactly-five-in-the-afternoon-a-boy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The shadows in the early morning don't tell much. The shadows rest at that time. So it's useless to gaze very early in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-shadows-in-the-early-morning-don-t-tell-much-the-shadows-rest-at/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [“I discovered windows one afternoon and after that, nothing was ever the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-spollen/i-discovered-windows-one-afternoon-and-after-that-nothing-was-ever/) [Anne Spollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-spollen/) > [Look, science is hard, it has a reputation of being hard, and the facts are, it is hard, and that's the result of 400…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/look-science-is-hard-it-has-a-reputation-of-being-hard-and-the-facts/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [What'll we do with ourselves this afternoon? And the day after that, and the next thirty years?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-ll-we-do-with-ourselves-this-afternoon-and-the-day-after-that/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Imagine you are walking down a leafy path…The sun is receding, and you are walking alone, caressed by the breezy light of the late…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/imagine-you-are-walking-down-a-leafy-path-the-sun-is-receding-and-you/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [A good umpire is the umpire you don't even notice. He's there all afternoon but when the game is over, you don't even remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-johnson/a-good-umpire-is-the-umpire-you-don-t-even-notice-he-s-there-all/) [Ban Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-johnson/) > [Sometimes in the afternoon sky the moon would pass white as a cloud, furtive, lusterless, like an actress who does not have to perform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/sometimes-in-the-afternoon-sky-the-moon-would-pass-white-as-a-cloud/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) [Browse all 1,085 Afternoon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afternoon/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He had waited five years and bought a mansion where he dispensed starlight to casual moths - so that he could 'come over' some afternoon to a stranger's garden.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "F. 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