--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the square suddenly seemed to begin…" description: "\"“When the square suddenly seemed to begin to glow in an enchanted way and look wonderful in spite of its sooty trees and railings, Sara knew something ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/frances-hodgson-burnett-988_skylights_when-the-square-suddenly-seemed-to-begin_1722084.jpg" --- # When the square suddenly seemed to begin to glow in an… ![“When the square suddenly seemed to begin to glow in an enchanted way and look wonderful in spite of its sooty trees and railings, Sara knew something was going on in the sky; and when it was at all possible to leave the kitchen without being missed or called back, she invariably stole away and…” quote by Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/frances-hodgson-burnett-988_skylights_when-the-square-suddenly-seemed-to-begin_1722084.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/frances-hodgson-burnett-988_skylights_when-the-square-suddenly-seemed-to-begin_1722084.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac0/frances-hodgson-burnett-988_skylights_when-the-square-suddenly-seemed-to-begin_1722084.jpg) > ““When the square suddenly seemed to begin to glow in an enchanted way and look wonderful in spite of its sooty trees and railings, Sara knew something was going on in the sky; and when it was at all possible to leave the kitchen without being missed or called back, she invariably stole away and crept up the flights of stairs, and, climbing on the old table, got her head and body as far out of the window as possible. When she had accomplished this, she always drew a long breath and looked all round her. It used to seem as if she had all the sky and the world to herself. No one else ever looked out of the other attics. Generally the skylights were closed; but even if they were propped open to admit air, no one seemed to come near them.”” [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child's curiosity drives her to seek freedom and wonder beyond confined spaces, discovering a personal sky. **In simple terms:** Kids seek freedom by exploring hidden places. Key Takeaway Encourage exploration to expand perspective. Themes curiosity freedom imagination Mood dreamy hopeful Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - playgrounds - attics - window views Key Concepts childhood literature Questions to Reflect On - What does the attic symbolize? - How can we create safe spaces for curiosity? A Different Perspective Safety concerns may limit exploration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Skylights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skylights/) ## Related quotes > [“Oh, papa!” she cried. “There is Emily!” A flush had risen to her face and there was an expression in her green-gray eyes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/oh-papa-she-cried-there-is-emily-a-flush-had-risen-to-her-face-and/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“I thought I would never see the sky again. Anything, anything is possible, if you can just see the sky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-thought-i-would-never-see-the-sky-again-anything-anything-is/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Sara knew this would be her only chance in a while to speak to Katie alone and be frank, so she threw caution to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konstantina-p/sara-knew-this-would-be-her-only-chance-in-a-while-to-speak-to-katie/) [Konstantina P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konstantina-p/) > [“I’d thought I would never see the sky again. Anything, anything is possible, if you can just see the sky.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-d-thought-i-would-never-see-the-sky-again-anything-anything-is/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“Sara knew that behind its locked front door no home was routine. Not the house of her childhood, not the apartment of her husband's.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bohjalian/sara-knew-that-behind-its-locked-front-door-no-home-was-routine-not/) [Chris Bohjalian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bohjalian/) > [Hope is what sits by the window and waits for one more dawn, despite the fact that there isn't an ounce of proof in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-chittister/hope-is-what-sits-by-the-window-and-waits-for-one-more-dawn-despite/) [Joan D. Chittister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-chittister/) > [I shake my head, watching snow tumble and swirl from an all-white sky. The world seems so clean if you only look up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/i-shake-my-head-watching-snow-tumble-and-swirl-from-an-all-white-sky/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [“You don’t get it, babe,” he said, still looking at the sky. “World War III already started.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slava-pilotoff/you-don-t-get-it-babe-he-said-still-looking-at-the-sky-world-war-iii/) [Slava Pilotoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slava-pilotoff/) > [“Now I will walk, as if I had an end in view, across the room, to the balcony under the awning. I see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/now-i-will-walk-as-if-i-had-an-end-in-view-across-the-room-to-the/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [And I never saw blue like that before across the sky around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/and-i-never-saw-blue-like-that-before-across-the-sky-around-the-world/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [The sky had never seemed so sky; the world had never seemed so world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-sky-had-never-seemed-so-sky-the-world-had-never-seemed-so-world/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“But, there is one broad sky over all the world, and whether it be blue or cloudy, the same heaven beyond”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/but-there-is-one-broad-sky-over-all-the-world-and-whether-it-be-blue/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [It's more than usually possible that I won't do a play again. But Skylight is one of the great plays in the English language.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/it-s-more-than-usually-possible-that-i-won-t-do-a-play-again-but/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [White and scrubbed, antique brass fixtures and a skylight letting in a flood of sunshine. Wow. You could get a tan standing around in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/white-and-scrubbed-antique-brass-fixtures-and-a-skylight-letting-in-a/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [The rain is playing its soft pleasant tune fitfully on the skylight, and the shade of the fast-flying clouds across my book passed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-parker-willis/the-rain-is-playing-its-soft-pleasant-tune-fitfully-on-the-skylight/) [Nathaniel Parker Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-parker-willis/) ## More by Frances Hodgson Burnett > [When you will not fly into a passion people know you are stronger than they are, because you are strong enough to hold in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/when-you-will-not-fly-into-a-passion-people-know-you-are-stronger/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“What does it say?" asked my lord. "It says, 'Good-night, God keep you all the night!'--just what she used to say when we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/what-does-it-say-asked-my-lord-it-says-good-night-god-keep-you-all/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [Somehow, something always happens just before things get to the very worst. It is as if Magic did it. If I could only just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/somehow-something-always-happens-just-before-things-get-to-the-very/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“They were as real as Sara, and it was careless of them not to come out of the story shadowland and say, “Here I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/they-were-as-real-as-sara-and-it-was-careless-of-them-not-to-come-out/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“One of the new things people began to find out in the last century was that thoughts- just mere thoughts- are as powerful as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/one-of-the-new-things-people-began-to-find-out-in-the-last-century/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“I've seen the spring now and I'm going to see the summer. I'm going to see everything grow here. I'm going to grow here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/i-ve-seen-the-spring-now-and-i-m-going-to-see-the-summer-i-m-going-to/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“If she had cried and sobbed and seemed frightened, Miss Minchin might almost have had more patience with her. She was a woman who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/if-she-had-cried-and-sobbed-and-seemed-frightened-miss-minchin-might/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“I was thinking," she said. "Beg my pardon immediately," said Miss Minchin. "I will beg your pardon for laughing, if it was rude," said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/i-was-thinking-she-said-beg-my-pardon-immediately-said-miss-minchin-i/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“She said that perhaps it was not so easy to be very rich; that if any one had so many things always, one might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/she-said-that-perhaps-it-was-not-so-easy-to-be-very-rich-that-if-any/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [I am sure there is Magic in everything, only we have not sense enough to get hold of it and make it do things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/i-am-sure-there-is-magic-in-everything-only-we-have-not-sense-enough/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“You don't know that you are saying these things to a princess, and that if I chose I could wave my hand and order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/you-don-t-know-that-you-are-saying-these-things-to-a-princess-and/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“Well, it is. One of her 'pretends' is that she is a princess. She plays it all the time—even in school. She says it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/well-it-is-one-of-her-pretends-is-that-she-is-a-princess-she-plays-it/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“They know you are stronger than they are, because you are strong enough to hold in your rage and they are not, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/they-know-you-are-stronger-than-they-are-because-you-are-strong/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“Tom's Cabin, and she spent many hours acting out”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/tom-s-cabin-and-she-spent-many-hours-acting-out/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [... justice is mercy's highest self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/justice-is-mercy-s-highest-self/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) [Explore all 296 Frances Hodgson Burnett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) ## More Skylights quotes > [The rain is playing its soft pleasant tune fitfully on the skylight, and the shade of the fast-flying clouds across my book passed with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-parker-willis/the-rain-is-playing-its-soft-pleasant-tune-fitfully-on-the-skylight/) [Nathaniel Parker Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-parker-willis/) > [It's more than usually possible that I won't do a play again. But Skylight is one of the great plays in the English language.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/it-s-more-than-usually-possible-that-i-won-t-do-a-play-again-but/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [White and scrubbed, antique brass fixtures and a skylight letting in a flood of sunshine. Wow. You could get a tan standing around in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilith-saintcrow/white-and-scrubbed-antique-brass-fixtures-and-a-skylight-letting-in-a/) [Lilith Saintcrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilith-saintcrow/) > [And behind their frail partitions Business women lie and soak, Seeing through the draughty skylight Flying clouds and railway smoke. Rest you there, poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-betjeman/and-behind-their-frail-partitions-business-women-lie-and-soak-seeing/) [John Betjeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-betjeman/) > [“The stars were going out now, one by one, dropping like pennies behind the television aerials and the skylights and the washing strung between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-beagle/the-stars-were-going-out-now-one-by-one-dropping-like-pennies-behind/) [Peter S. Beagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-beagle/) > [Goodbye, Room." I wave up at Skylight. "Say goodbye," I tell Ma. "Goodbye, Room." Ma says it but on mute. I look back one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/goodbye-room-i-wave-up-at-skylight-say-goodbye-i-tell-ma-goodbye-room/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [All I know is, he found out you left and he locked himself in the shed and barricaded the door. No one's seen him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-brian/all-i-know-is-he-found-out-you-left-and-he-locked-himself-in-the-shed/) [Kate Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-brian/) > [I did not want windows, only skylights. I chose my painting wall as it has the best morning light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellsworth-kelly/i-did-not-want-windows-only-skylights-i-chose-my-painting-wall-as-it/) [Ellsworth Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellsworth-kelly/) > [He's a great writer. If I didn't think so I wouldn't have tried to kill him... I was the champ and when I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/he-s-a-great-writer-if-i-didn-t-think-so-i-wouldn-t-have-tried-to/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [In fiction, when you paint yourself into a corner, you can write a pair of suction cups onto the bottoms of your shoes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/in-fiction-when-you-paint-yourself-into-a-corner-you-can-write-a-pair/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The light is really the most important thing, so if you don't have skylights and if you don't have north light, this is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-coupey/the-light-is-really-the-most-important-thing-so-if-you-don-t-have/) Pierre Coupey [Browse all 12 Skylights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skylights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When the square suddenly seemed to begin to glow in an enchanted way and look wonderful in spite of its sooty trees and railings, Sara knew something was going on in the sky; and when it was at all possible to leave the kitchen without being missed or called back, she invariably stole away and crept up the flights of stairs, and, climbing on the old table, got her head and body as far out of the window as possible. 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