--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Letter 84 An elephant with his trunk…" description: "\"“Letter 84 An elephant with his trunk raised is a ladder to the stars. A breaching whale is a ladder to the bottom of the sea. My photographs are a lad..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/gregory-colbert-28050_ashes-and-snow_letter-84-an-elephant-with-his-trunk-rai_2884311.png" --- # Letter 84 An elephant with his trunk raised is a ladder to… ![“Letter 84 An elephant with his trunk raised is a ladder to the stars. A breaching whale is a ladder to the bottom of the sea. My photographs are a ladder to my dreams. These letters are ladders to you.” quote by Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/gregory-colbert-28050_ashes-and-snow_letter-84-an-elephant-with-his-trunk-rai_2884311.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/gregory-colbert-28050_ashes-and-snow_letter-84-an-elephant-with-his-trunk-rai_2884311.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6a/gregory-colbert-28050_ashes-and-snow_letter-84-an-elephant-with-his-trunk-rai_2884311.png) > ““Letter 84 An elephant with his trunk raised is a ladder to the stars. A breaching whale is a ladder to the bottom of the sea. My photographs are a ladder to my dreams. These letters are ladders to you.”” [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Metaphorical ladders—elephants, whales, photographs—connect us to higher realms, dreams, and each other, illustrating creative bridges between worlds. **In simple terms:** Metaphors link us to dreams. Key Takeaway Use imagination to connect. Themes creativity connection metaphor art dreams Mood imaginative hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - art projects - storytelling - personal inspiration Key Concepts symbolism interconnectedness Questions to Reflect On - What ladders do you use? - How can art bridge your goals? A Different Perspective Metaphors may be abstract. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashes-and-snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashes-and-snow-11403/) [Ladder Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ladder-dreams-4015134/) [Ladder Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ladder-stars-2108111/) [Ladders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ladders/) [Letter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letter/) [Letters Ladders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/letters-ladders-4015132/) [Whale Ladder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whale-ladder-4015133/) ## Related quotes > [“Letter 4 As I lay dreaming, Montezuma introduced himself and put his hand on my shoulder. The palm of the Aztec king felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-4-as-i-lay-dreaming-montezuma-introduced-himself-and-put-his/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 7 In the beginning of time, the skies were filled with flying elephants. 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I carry it with me like a garden in my pocket.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-74-i-still-have-the-first-letter-that-you-wrote-to-me-i-carry/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [And you have your choices, And these are what make man great, His ladder to the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-you-have-your-choices-and-these-are-what-make-man-great-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [May you build a ladder to the stars and climb on every rung. 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The real success of our personal lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/i-put-a-lot-of-emphasis-on-how-to-treat-people-the-reason-for-this-is/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [I'm a little bit superstitious, and I think that just comes from playing hockey. I won't avoid the number thirteen. A big one for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-badge-dale/i-m-a-little-bit-superstitious-and-i-think-that-just-comes-from/) [James Badge Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-badge-dale/) > [In order for us to reach success, we must first find, the ladder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hensel/in-order-for-us-to-reach-success-we-must-first-find-the-ladder/) [Robert M. Hensel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hensel/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [It's sort of the American way to go up and down the ladder, maybe several times in a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/it-s-sort-of-the-american-way-to-go-up-and-down-the-ladder-maybe/) [Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/) ## More by Gregory Colbert > [Feather to fire,fire to blood Blood to bone,bone to marrow Marrow to ashes,ashes to snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/feather-to-fire-fire-to-blood-blood-to-bone-bone-to-marrow-marrow-to/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 4 As I lay dreaming, Montezuma introduced himself and put his hand on my shoulder. 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My sister and I put our ears to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-68-a-pod-of-whales-was-lying-like-long-reclining-buddhas-on/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [Is it only humans that look up with wonder at the stars and the vastness of the universe?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/is-it-only-humans-that-look-up-with-wonder-at-the-stars-and-the/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [I have invented nothing. I have simply documented a magical alchemy that I want to share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/i-have-invented-nothing-i-have-simply-documented-a-magical-alchemy/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [Letter 1 To the princess of the elephants, I disappeared exactly one year ago. On that day I received a letter. It called me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-1-to-the-princess-of-the-elephants-i-disappeared-exactly-one/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 17 Morning. The snow was falling outside. There was a white silence. My mother and I sat facing my father at the dining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-17-morning-the-snow-was-falling-outside-there-was-a-white/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [When I started Ashes and Snow in 1992, I set out to explore the relationship between man and animals from the inside out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/when-i-started-ashes-and-snow-in-1992-i-set-out-to-explore-the/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) [Explore all 20 Gregory Colbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) ## More Ashes-and-snow quotes > [“Letter 4 As I lay dreaming, Montezuma introduced himself and put his hand on my shoulder. The palm of the Aztec king felt like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-4-as-i-lay-dreaming-montezuma-introduced-himself-and-put-his/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 74 I still have the first letter that you wrote to me. I carry it with me like a garden in my pocket.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-74-i-still-have-the-first-letter-that-you-wrote-to-me-i-carry/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 90 When I used to sit up late at night writing in our bed, I was calmed by the sound of your breathing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-90-when-i-used-to-sit-up-late-at-night-writing-in-our-bed-i/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 68 A pod of whales was lying like long reclining Buddhas on the sea. My sister and I put our ears to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-68-a-pod-of-whales-was-lying-like-long-reclining-buddhas-on/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 17 Morning. The snow was falling outside. There was a white silence. My mother and I sat facing my father at the dining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-17-morning-the-snow-was-falling-outside-there-was-a-white/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) > [“Letter 7 In the beginning of time, the skies were filled with flying elephants. Too heavy for their wings, they sometimes crashed through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-colbert/letter-7-in-the-beginning-of-time-the-skies-were-filled-with-flying/) [Gregory Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-colbert/) [Browse all 7 Ashes-and-snow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashes-and-snow-11403/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Letter 84 An elephant with his trunk raised is a ladder to the stars. A breaching whale is a ladder to the bottom of the sea. My photographs are a ladder to my dreams. 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