--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: when I felt a sudden sharp poke in my…" description: "\"“when I felt a sudden sharp poke in my rear, and turning round, was horrified at the apparition of Captain Peleg in the act of withdrawing his leg from..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66b/herman-melville-162_humor_when-i-felt-a-sudden-sharp-poke-in-my-re_900344.jpg" --- # when I felt a sudden sharp poke in my rear, and turning… ![“when I felt a sudden sharp poke in my rear, and turning round, was horrified at the apparition of Captain Peleg in the act of withdrawing his leg from my immediate vicinity. That was my first kick.” quote by Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66b/herman-melville-162_humor_when-i-felt-a-sudden-sharp-poke-in-my-re_900344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66b/herman-melville-162_humor_when-i-felt-a-sudden-sharp-poke-in-my-re_900344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/66b/herman-melville-162_humor_when-i-felt-a-sudden-sharp-poke-in-my-re_900344.jpg) > ““when I felt a sudden sharp poke in my rear, and turning round, was horrified at the apparition of Captain Peleg in the act of withdrawing his leg from my immediate vicinity. That was my first kick.”” [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A sudden, painful encounter with authority reveals vulnerability and fear. **In simple terms:** A painful surprise shows fear of power. Key Takeaway Recognize and confront sudden shocks. Themes vulnerability authority fear Mood anxious reflective Type narrative personal When to use this quote - first day at work - unexpected criticism - physical injury - authority confrontation Key Concepts Power dynamics personal shock Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond when authority surprises you? - What does this reveal about your sense of safety? A Different Perspective The moment may be fleeting but the impact can linger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) ## Related quotes > [“Out of absolutely nowhere I felt a sudden, sweet shot of joy, piercing and distilled as the jolt I imagine heroin users get when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tana-french/out-of-absolutely-nowhere-i-felt-a-sudden-sweet-shot-of-joy-piercing/) [Tana French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tana-french/) > [“Her face twisted at the words, and I felt a sudden stab of guilt. 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We can't even be friends anymore.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/who-s-bruce-lee-kenji-asks-horrified-oh-my-god-we-can-t-even-be/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Our bodies made us shiver in fear and disgust. We looked in the mirror and prepared ourselves to be horrified.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merri-lisa-johnson/our-bodies-made-us-shiver-in-fear-and-disgust-we-looked-in-the-mirror/) [Merri Lisa Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merri-lisa-johnson/) > [I'm horrified to have been alerted to anti-Semitism showing up in a Facebook group I'm associated with. As a busy mum I don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-bradbrook/i-m-horrified-to-have-been-alerted-to-anti-semitism-showing-up-in-a/) [Gail Bradbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-bradbrook/) > [People in general are equally horrified at hearing the Christian religion doubted, and at seeing it practiced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/people-in-general-are-equally-horrified-at-hearing-the-christian/) [Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/) > [I am horrified by the moral amnesia that develops when a dictator dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-eltahawy/i-am-horrified-by-the-moral-amnesia-that-develops-when-a-dictator-dies/) [Mona Eltahawy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-eltahawy/) > [“What, she’s taken the hairs off her honeypot?” he said, horrified into uncharacteristic vulgarity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/what-she-s-taken-the-hairs-off-her-honeypot-he-said-horrified-into/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“She parted her lips as though she were going to scold him, but, after a moment of sitting with her mouth agape like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-brickl/she-parted-her-lips-as-though-she-were-going-to-scold-him-but-after-a/) [Kelsey Brickl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-brickl/) > [I think a lot of people are projecting their own troubles and fears concerning sexuality onto those around them, and it does result in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-miller/i-think-a-lot-of-people-are-projecting-their-own-troubles-and-fears/) [Ezra Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-miller/) Browse all 146 Horrified quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“when I felt a sudden sharp poke in my rear, and turning round, was horrified at the apparition of Captain Peleg in the act of withdrawing his leg from my immediate vicinity. 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