America Quote by Gene Wolfe
““And as if by magic - and it may have been magic, for I believe America is the land of magic, and that we, we now past Americans, were once the magical people of it, waiting now to stand to some unguessable generation of the future as the nameless pre-Mycenaean tribes did to the Greeks, ready, at a word, each of us now, to flit piping through groves ungrown, our women ready to haunt as laminoe the rose-red ruins of Chicago and Indianapolis when they are little more than earthen mounds, when the heads of the trees are higher than the hundred-and-twenty-fifth floor - it seemed to me that I found myself in bed again, the old house swaying in silence as though it were moored to the universe by only the thread of smoke from the stove.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe, 1980-1983
The passage evokes a surreal, mythic vision of America as a magical, timeless place where past and future intertwine, blurring reality and imagination.
In simple terms: America is seen as a magical, timeless landscape.
Key Takeaway
Embrace wonder in everyday surroundings.
Themes
mythic
place
time
memory
imagery
Mood
reflective
evocative
Type
literary
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- walking through cities
- reflecting on history
- creative writing
- urban exploration
Key Concepts
magical realism
historical myth
urban decay
Questions to Reflect On
- How does myth shape your view of modern places?
- What personal moments feel magical?
A Different Perspective
The dense, poetic language may obscure clear meaning for some readers.
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