--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But that age … exerts on us An almost…" description: "\"“But that age … exerts on us An almost terrible charm, Like the memory of things seen And a life lived in dreams.”\" — Heinrich Heine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/heinrich-heine-1170_dreams_but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terr_1303389.jpg" --- # But that age … exerts on us An almost terrible charm, Like… ![“But that age … exerts on us An almost terrible charm, Like the memory of things seen And a life lived in dreams.” quote by Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/heinrich-heine-1170_dreams_but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terr_1303389.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/heinrich-heine-1170_dreams_but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terr_1303389.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/heinrich-heine-1170_dreams_but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terr_1303389.jpg) > ““But that age … exerts on us An almost terrible charm, Like the memory of things seen And a life lived in dreams.”” [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Youth carries a bittersweet allure, recalling vivid memories and a life lived in dreams. **In simple terms:** Youth is both charming and fleeting. Key Takeaway Cherish youthful dreams while they last. Themes youth memory dreams Mood wistful contemplative Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - adolescence - creative pursuits - reflective writing - life planning Key Concepts nostalgia transience Questions to Reflect On - What dreams have you let go? - How does nostalgia shape your present? A Different Perspective Dreams may fade as reality returns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) ## Related quotes > [“Losing your co-remember meant losing the memory itself, as if the things we'd done were less real and important than they had been hours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/losing-your-co-remember-meant-losing-the-memory-itself-as-if-the/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I have no memory for things I have learned, nor things I have read, nor things experienced or heard, neither for people nor events;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-have-no-memory-for-things-i-have-learned-nor-things-i-have-read-nor/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [I started making work, and it's like, yes you are calling out all of these things that are part of your memory, your body's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-drew/i-started-making-work-and-it-s-like-yes-you-are-calling-out-all-of/) [Leonardo Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-drew/) > [“I lived in those dreams—I was always a heavy dreamer—more than in real life; those shadows consumed my strength and life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/i-lived-in-those-dreams-i-was-always-a-heavy-dreamer-more-than-in/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“Perhaps she wrote that life is really lived through dreams and intuitions, not fate and circumstance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-davenport/perhaps-she-wrote-that-life-is-really-lived-through-dreams-and/) [Kiana Davenport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-davenport/) > [“In Auschwitz I would often dream about my home. It's interesting that in that hell many of my dreams were quite pleasant. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-brandsdorfer/in-auschwitz-i-would-often-dream-about-my-home-it-s-interesting-that/) Louis Brandsdorfer > [Women dream till they have no longer the strength to dream; those dreams against which they so struggle, so honestly, vigorously, and conscientiously, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/women-dream-till-they-have-no-longer-the-strength-to-dream-those/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [I've lived out many of the dreams I had as a little girl, back when I was riding my pony, mucking stalls, feeding cows,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chantal-sutherland/i-ve-lived-out-many-of-the-dreams-i-had-as-a-little-girl-back-when-i/) [Chantal Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chantal-sutherland/) > [When you were a child you had dreams of becoming somebody as an adult. Have you lived up to your dreams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/when-you-were-a-child-you-had-dreams-of-becoming-somebody-as-an-adult/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Like all people who have nothing, I lived on dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anzia-yezierska/like-all-people-who-have-nothing-i-lived-on-dreams/) [Anzia Yezierska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anzia-yezierska/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-armstrong/the-memory-of-things-gone-is-important-to-a-jazz-musician/) [Louis Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-armstrong/) > [“The Phonograph knows more about us than we know ourselves,” Thomas Edison wrote in 1888. “For it retains the memory of many things which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-petrusich/the-phonograph-knows-more-about-us-than-we-know-ourselves-thomas/) [Amanda Petrusich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-petrusich/) > [“There are things that cut through swathes of memory, there are things you take with you that are non-essential, that drag you down, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-lee-koe/there-are-things-that-cut-through-swathes-of-memory-there-are-things/) Amanda Lee Koe > [My dad always told me to have a short memory, whether things are going good or bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-price/my-dad-always-told-me-to-have-a-short-memory-whether-things-are-going/) [Carey Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-price/) ## More by Heinrich Heine > [Great genius takes shape by contact with another great genius, but, less by assimilation than by friction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/great-genius-takes-shape-by-contact-with-another-great-genius-but/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Lo, sleep is good, better is death--in sooth The best of all were never to be born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/lo-sleep-is-good-better-is-death-in-sooth-the-best-of-all-were-never/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Ordinarily he was insane, but he had lucid moments when he was merely stupid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/ordinarily-he-was-insane-but-he-had-lucid-moments-when-he-was-merely/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Human misery is too great for men to do without faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/human-misery-is-too-great-for-men-to-do-without-faith/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Every age has its problem, by solving which humanity is helped forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/every-age-has-its-problem-by-solving-which-humanity-is-helped-forward/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [The beauteous dragonfly's dancing By the waves of the rivulet glancing; She dances here and she dances there, The glimmering, glittering flutterer fair. Full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/the-beauteous-dragonfly-s-dancing-by-the-waves-of-the-rivulet/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [I am no longer a divine biped. I am no longer the freest German after Goethe, as Ruge named me in healthier days. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/i-am-no-longer-a-divine-biped-i-am-no-longer-the-freest-german-after/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [First, I thought, almost despairing, This must crush my spirit now; Yet I bore it, and am bearing- Only do not ask me how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/first-i-thought-almost-despairing-this-must-crush-my-spirit-now-yet-i/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Nothing is more futile than theorizing about music. No doubt there are laws, mathematically strict laws, but these laws are not music; they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/nothing-is-more-futile-than-theorizing-about-music-no-doubt-there-are/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [A lonely fir-tree is standing On a northern barren height; It sleeps, and the ice and snow-drift Cast round it a garment of white.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/a-lonely-fir-tree-is-standing-on-a-northern-barren-height-it-sleeps/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Thought is invisible nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/thought-is-invisible-nature/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [“Still is the night, it quiets the streets down, In that window my love would appear; She's long since gone away from this town,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/still-is-the-night-it-quiets-the-streets-down-in-that-window-my-love/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [The dragon-fly is dancing,— Is on the water glancing, She flits about with nimble wing, The flickering, fluttering, restless thing. Besotted chafers all admire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/the-dragon-fly-is-dancing-is-on-the-water-glancing-she-flits-about/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [There is one thing on earth more terrible than English music, and that is English painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/there-is-one-thing-on-earth-more-terrible-than-english-music-and-that/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [He is noble who both feels and acts nobly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/he-is-noble-who-both-feels-and-acts-nobly/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) [Explore all 262 Heinrich Heine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) ## More Dreams quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [“Now you’re wet. You’re so wet you’re leaking down your ass. You’re soaking my pillow. I don’t think I’m ever washing it. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stoker/now-you-re-wet-you-re-so-wet-you-re-leaking-down-your-ass-you-re/) [Susan Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stoker/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [It’s so important to create in your own voice, to hold onto what makes you unique, and have faith in your vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/it-s-so-important-to-create-in-your-own-voice-to-hold-onto-what-makes/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 40,599 Dreams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But that age … exerts on us An almost terrible charm, Like the memory of things seen And a life lived in dreams.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Heinrich Heine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terrible-charm-like-the-memory-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dreams" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terrible-charm-like-the-memory-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/heinrich-heine-1170_dreams_but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terr_1303389.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/heinrich-heine-1170_dreams_but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terr_1303389.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/heinrich-heine-1170_dreams_but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terr_1303389.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But that age … exerts on us An almost terrible charm, Like the memory of things seen And a life lived in…” — Heinrich Heine", "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": "Heinrich Heine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But that age … exerts on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terrible-charm-like-the-memory-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/but-that-age-exerts-on-us-an-almost-terrible-charm-like-the-memory-of/#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 } } ] } ```