Abandoned Quote by Gustave Flaubert
““The next day was, for Emma, a dismal one. Everything seemed enveloped in a black atmosphere that hovered indistinctly over the exterior of things, and sorrow rushed into her soul, moaning softly like the winter wind in abandoned manor houses. It was the sort of reverie you sink into over something that will never return again, the lassitude that overcomes you with each thing that is finished, the pain you suffer when any habitual motion is stopped, when a prolonged vibration abruptly ceases.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert, 1857
The passage describes deep, lingering melancholy after loss, likening sorrow to a cold, empty atmosphere that pervades everything.
In simple terms: Intense sadness after something ends.
Key Takeaway
Allow yourself to feel grief fully.
Themes
loss
melancholy
nostalgia
grief
reflection
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
literary
poetic
When to use this quote
- bereavement
- end of a relationship
- completion of a project
- transition periods
Key Concepts
existential dread
emotional stagnation
impermanence
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this lingering sadness teach you about attachment?
- How can you honor endings without being consumed?
A Different Perspective
Grief can become overwhelming if not processed.
