Air Quote by Hal Porter
“The heat is searing and superb. The paddocks surrounding the town are bleached blond. The distant ring-barked gums, mile after mile, wriggle in the heat-waves, and seem to melt like the bristles of a melting hairbrush. The hills turn powder-blue and gauzy. Mirages resembling pools of mica and shallows of crystal water appear at the far ends of streets and roads. Punctually at eleven every burning morning, the cicadas begin to drill the air, to drill themselves also, ceaselessly and relentlessly, to death in one short day after seven long years underground.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Unbearable Lightness of Being, 1979
The landscape is described with vivid, scorching heat and surreal imagery, emphasizing intense heat and relentless cicada chorus.
In simple terms: Heat and sound dominate the scene.
Key Takeaway
Notice how sensory detail creates atmosphere.
Themes
nature
heat
sound
imagery
time
Mood
evocative
melancholic
Type
literary
descriptive
When to use this quote
- desert travel
- summer heat
- fieldwork
- writing workshops
Key Concepts
sensory description
environmental storytelling
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this description affect mood?
- What emotions does the cicada chorus evoke?
A Different Perspective
Overly poetic may obscure practical info.
![“Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs [Less Developed Countries]?... I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that... I’ve always…” quote by Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ac4/lawrence-summers-16940_air_just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-wo_4703.jpg)
![“[A]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air. And be careful what you swallow.” quote by Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/da8/dr-seuss-1224_advice_a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-f_6806.jpg)