Cold mountain Quote by Gary Snyder
““I wanted a good place to settle: Cold Mountain would be safe. Light wind in a hidden pine - Listen close - the sound gets better. Under it a gray haired man Mumbles along reading Huang and Lao. For ten years I havn't gone back home I've even forgotten the way by which I came.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Wind in the Pines” from *The Back Country* (1971)
A speaker reflects on seeking safety in a remote place, hearing subtle sounds, and feeling disconnected from home after a long absence.
In simple terms: Seeking refuge, hearing nature, feeling lost after years away.
Key Takeaway
Embrace present moments, reconnect with roots.
Themes
solitude
memory
displacement
nature
search
Mood
reflective
melancholic
contemplative
Type
poetic
literary
When to use this quote
- long‑term travel
- returning home
- personal reflection
- finding safety
Key Concepts
existentialism
place attachment
nostalgia
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “safe” truly mean to you?
- How can you balance longing for home with present realities?
A Different Perspective
The longing may idealize safety, ignoring practical challenges.
![“But if you do know what is taught by plants and weather, you are in on the gossip and can feel truly at home. The sum of a field's forces [become] what we call very loosely the 'spirit of the place.' To know the spirit of a place is to realize that you are a part of a part and that the whole is…” quote by Gary Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/af3/gary-snyder-4502_feels_but-if-you-do-know-what-is-taught-by-pla_256516.jpg)
