--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Starlight and comet tails burned the tips…" description: "\"Starlight and comet tails burned the tips of endless grass below into hammered silver. Like thousands of tapers in the chapel, just blown out but still..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/gregory-maguire-547_being-the-best_starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tip_1771186.png" --- # Starlight and comet tails burned the tips of endless grass… ![“Starlight and comet tails burned the tips of endless grass below into hammered silver. Like thousands of tapers in the chapel, just blown out but still glowing. If one could drown in the grass...it might be the best way to die.” quote by Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/gregory-maguire-547_being-the-best_starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tip_1771186.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/gregory-maguire-547_being-the-best_starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tip_1771186.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/gregory-maguire-547_being-the-best_starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tip_1771186.png) > “Starlight and comet tails burned the tips of endless grass below into hammered silver. Like thousands of tapers in the chapel, just blown out but still glowing. If one could drown in the grass...it might be the best way to die.” [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage paints a vivid, haunting scene where grass turns to silver under starlight, suggesting both beauty and a yearning for oblivion. **In simple terms:** A beautiful but deadly landscape evokes a desire for escape. Key Takeaway Embrace the fleeting beauty of life. Themes nature beauty death longing Mood somber reflective Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - night walks - poetry reading - meditative reflection - artistic inspiration Key Concepts transcendence melancholy environmentalism Questions to Reflect On - What does the silver grass symbolize for you? - How do you find beauty in darkness? A Different Perspective The metaphor may romanticize death, overlooking its finality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being the best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-the-best/) [Burned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burned/) [Chapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapel/) [Comet Tails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comet-tails-1780979/) [Comets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comets/) [Drown Grass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drown-grass-1780975/) [Endless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endless/) [Endless Grass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endless-grass-1780977/) [Glowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glowing/) [Glowing Drown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glowing-drown-1780976/) [Grass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grass/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver/) [Starlight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starlight/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Tails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tails/) [Tails Burned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tails-burned-1780978/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [“If one could drown in the grass, thought Elphie, it might be the best way to die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/if-one-could-drown-in-the-grass-thought-elphie-it-might-be-the-best/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [If one could drown in the grass, thought Elphie, that might be the best way to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/if-one-could-drown-in-the-grass-thought-elphie-that-might-be-the-best/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“She seems so depressed sometimes by the monotony and boredom of her city life, I thought maybe in this endless grass and wind she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/she-seems-so-depressed-sometimes-by-the-monotony-and-boredom-of-her/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [The religion of England is part of good-breeding. When you see on the continent the well-dressed Englishman come into his ambassador's chapel and put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-religion-of-england-is-part-of-good-breeding-when-you-see-on-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I love this site. It was lovingly hand-shaped it. Your soul transformed this into this art. It was perfect. I have tried to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/i-love-this-site-it-was-lovingly-hand-shaped-it-your-soul-transformed/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [“But the chapel, that will never be prosaic. Those who have seen it outlined against the sunset or the full moon, those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whipplesnaith/but-the-chapel-that-will-never-be-prosaic-those-who-have-seen-it/) [Whipplesnaith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whipplesnaith/) > [The blog is meant to be a bit of a side chapel - a place to slip into and still and encounter the glory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-blog-is-meant-to-be-a-bit-of-a-side-chapel-a-place-to-slip-into/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [And if I can't be with you I would rather have a different face And if I can't be near you I would rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-finn/and-if-i-can-t-be-with-you-i-would-rather-have-a-different-face-and/) [Neil Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-finn/) > [I don't really believe in political art. I feel in my heart the purpose of art transcends cultural and class and politics. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lennon/i-don-t-really-believe-in-political-art-i-feel-in-my-heart-the/) [Sean Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lennon/) > [In Chapel Hill among a friendly folk, this old university, the first state university to open its doors, stands on a hill set in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-porter-graham/in-chapel-hill-among-a-friendly-folk-this-old-university-the-first/) [Frank Porter Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-porter-graham/) > [My gentleman gives the law where he is; he will outpray saints in chapel, outgeneral veterans in the field, and outshine all courtesy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/my-gentleman-gives-the-law-where-he-is-he-will-outpray-saints-in/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [In 2012 the best venue I played was Union Chapel in London. It's a beautiful room, the sound is exceptional, and they treated us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-pope/in-2012-the-best-venue-i-played-was-union-chapel-in-london-it-s-a/) [Ron Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-pope/) > [“I don't like to hear cut and dried sermons. No—when I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-don-t-like-to-hear-cut-and-dried-sermons-no-when-i-hear-a-man/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Wherever God erects a house of prayer the Devil always builds a chapel there; And 't will be found, upon examination, the latter has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/wherever-god-erects-a-house-of-prayer-the-devil-always-builds-a/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [“Maybe if I’d never set foot in the chapel, everything would have turned out okay. I would have learned to be satisfied with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/maybe-if-i-d-never-set-foot-in-the-chapel-everything-would-have/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) ## More by Gregory Maguire > [“By so giving up, of course, it renews itself- that is the secret”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/by-so-giving-up-of-course-it-renews-itself-that-is-the-secret/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Forgive us our trespasses," says Margarethe, "and get out of our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/forgive-us-our-trespasses-says-margarethe-and-get-out-of-our-way/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“There are two kinds of anger: hot and cold. Boys and girls experience both, but as they grow up the anger separates according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/there-are-two-kinds-of-anger-hot-and-cold-boys-and-girls-experience/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Very few things in the world are certain, but morning is one of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/very-few-things-in-the-world-are-certain-but-morning-is-one-of-them/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [No one survives in times of war unless they make war their home. How did I get so old and wise, but for welcoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/no-one-survives-in-times-of-war-unless-they-make-war-their-home-how/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“I care as much as I can, but I don’t spend energy caring about things I cannot resolve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-care-as-much-as-i-can-but-i-don-t-spend-energy-caring-about-things/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“How many times in a life, he thought, will I lie down in a darkness whose character I cannot imagine, to see what daybreak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/how-many-times-in-a-life-he-thought-will-i-lie-down-in-a-darkness/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [Old Flossie settle down on the other side of What-the-Dickens and dragged some handiwork out of a sack. She armed herself with two thorns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/old-flossie-settle-down-on-the-other-side-of-what-the-dickens-and/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [I shall pray for your soul,' promised Nessarose. I shall wait for your shoes,' Elphie answered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-shall-pray-for-your-soul-promised-nessarose-i-shall-wait-for-your/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [My first job was scooping ice cream at Friendly's in Albany, New York. I hated the work, most of my colleagues, and the uniform,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/my-first-job-was-scooping-ice-cream-at-friendly-s-in-albany-new-york/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“At its most elemental, a spell is no more than a recipe for change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/at-its-most-elemental-a-spell-is-no-more-than-a-recipe-for-change/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [I write because I admire the act of rationalization, of seeking clarity in one's understanding of the complexities of life, and I'm bad at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/i-write-because-i-admire-the-act-of-rationalization-of-seeking/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“Do good though, will you?" She blinked brightly at the green girl. "If not for your parents or your grandmother, then for me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/do-good-though-will-you-she-blinked-brightly-at-the-green-girl-if-not/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You always had an eye for the fellow with a decent helping of sausage and hard-boiled eggs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-always-had-an-eye-for-the-fellow-with-a-decent-helping-of-sausage/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“You need my help? What for? Bread, cash, a fake identity to help you slip sideways through the cracks? Tell me what you need,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/you-need-my-help-what-for-bread-cash-a-fake-identity-to-help-you-slip/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) [Explore all 470 Gregory Maguire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) ## More Being the best quotes > [High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/high-school-sucked-it-was-a-universal-truth-and-whoever-said-these/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [I think my days of trying outrageous things are over. I'm not looking for trends, I just want to be the best version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/i-think-my-days-of-trying-outrageous-things-are-over-i-m-not-looking/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [I want to be the best, it's not about the ranking, it's about being consistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saina-nehwal/i-want-to-be-the-best-it-s-not-about-the-ranking-it-s-about-being/) [Saina Nehwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saina-nehwal/) > [Ah simple laughter that you trewing on my face. Is a simple karma that you will get for tomorrow.. Ah big clap from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leodonessiony/ah-simple-laughter-that-you-trewing-on-my-face-is-a-simple-karma-that/) [Leodonessiony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leodonessiony/) > [To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/to-be-tested-is-good-the-challenged-life-may-be-the-best-therapist/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [There's no guarantee for the future; might as well be HAPPY now, and give my BEST in everything I do! In that way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/there-s-no-guarantee-for-the-future-might-as-well-be-happy-now-and/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Success lies not in the result but in the effort. BEING the Best is not at all important. DOING the Best is all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabin-shrestha/success-lies-not-in-the-result-but-in-the-effort-being-the-best-is/) [Prabin Shrestha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabin-shrestha/) > [Sometimes you choose the wrong actor, he could be the best actor ever, but hes not cast in the right part then it doesnt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-marceau/sometimes-you-choose-the-wrong-actor-he-could-be-the-best-actor-ever/) [Sophie Marceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-marceau/) > [I am not impressed with what people own. But I’m impressed with what they achieve. I’m proud to be a physician. Always strive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-stanley/i-am-not-impressed-with-what-people-own-but-i-m-impressed-with-what/) [Thomas J. Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-stanley/) > [You have to love your country like an adult loves somebody, not like a child loves its mommy. And right-wing Republicans tend to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-franken/you-have-to-love-your-country-like-an-adult-loves-somebody-not-like-a/) [Al Franken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-franken/) > [My role is to think about tennis and to help Serena Williams be the best she can be and do what she wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-mouratoglou/my-role-is-to-think-about-tennis-and-to-help-serena-williams-be-the/) [Patrick Mouratoglou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-mouratoglou/) > [One of my mom's best lines is... You're not training to be the best in the world, you're training to be the best in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronda-rousey/one-of-my-mom-s-best-lines-is-you-re-not-training-to-be-the-best-in/) [Ronda Rousey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronda-rousey/) > [I've learned a simple principle: all I have to do is be the best 'me' that I can be. One day when I read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-ve-learned-a-simple-principle-all-i-have-to-do-is-be-the-best-me/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [We have to consider who is going to be the best prime minister to take on a "one nation" agenda.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/we-have-to-consider-who-is-going-to-be-the-best-prime-minister-to/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [Every day the sun rises is a new day to be your best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-vargas/every-day-the-sun-rises-is-a-new-day-to-be-your-best/) [Anthony Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-vargas/) [Browse all 1,358 Being the best quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-the-best/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Starlight and comet tails burned the tips of endless grass below into hammered silver. Like thousands of tapers in the chapel, just blown out but still glowing. If one could drown in the grass...it might be the best way to die.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gregory Maguire" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tips-of-endless-grass-below-into/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being the best" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tips-of-endless-grass-below-into/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/gregory-maguire-547_being-the-best_starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tip_1771186.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/gregory-maguire-547_being-the-best_starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tip_1771186.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/gregory-maguire-547_being-the-best_starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tip_1771186.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Starlight and comet tails burned the tips of endless grass below into hammered silver. Like thousands of…” — Gregory Maguire", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gregory Maguire", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Starlight and comet tails burned the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tips-of-endless-grass-below-into/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/starlight-and-comet-tails-burned-the-tips-of-endless-grass-below-into/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```