--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once, on a walk by a river- Eskdale in…" description: "\"“Once, on a walk by a river- Eskdale in low reddish sunlight, with a dusting of snow- his daughter quoted to him an opening verse by her favourite poet..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/ian-mcewan-494_called_once-on-a-walk-by-a-river-eskdale-in-low_33003.png" --- # Once, on a walk by a river- Eskdale in low reddish… ![“Once, on a walk by a river- Eskdale in low reddish sunlight, with a dusting of snow- his daughter quoted to him an opening verse by her favourite poet. Apparently, not many young women loved Phillip Larkin the way she did. 'If I were to construct a religion/ I should make use of water.' She said…” quote by Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/ian-mcewan-494_called_once-on-a-walk-by-a-river-eskdale-in-low_33003.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/ian-mcewan-494_called_once-on-a-walk-by-a-river-eskdale-in-low_33003.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/ian-mcewan-494_called_once-on-a-walk-by-a-river-eskdale-in-low_33003.png) > ““Once, on a walk by a river- Eskdale in low reddish sunlight, with a dusting of snow- his daughter quoted to him an opening verse by her favourite poet. Apparently, not many young women loved Phillip Larkin the way she did. 'If I were to construct a religion/ I should make use of water.' She said she liked the laconic use of 'called in'- as if he would be, as if anyone ever is. They stopped to drink coffee from a flask, and Perowne, tracing a line of lichen with a finger, said that if he ever got the call, he'd make us of evolution. What better creation myth? An unimaginable sweep of time, numberless generations spawning by infinitesimal steps complex living beauty out of inert matter, driven on by the blind furies of random mutation, natural selection and environmental change, with the tragedy of forms continually dying, and lately the wonder of minds emerging and with them morality, love, art, cities- and the unprecedented bonus of this story happening to be demonstrably true.”” [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) ## 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 reflects on how a child's poetic reverence for Larkin sparks a contemplation of religion, evolution, and humanity's place in a vast, indifferent cosmos, celebrating the emergence of consciousness and culture from random processes. **In simple terms:** Poetry inspires existential musings on evolution and meaning. Key Takeaway Life's complexity arises from blind natural processes. Themes existentialism science and art religion human consciousness nature culture Mood wonder reflective melancholic Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - a river walk - a coffee break - a child reciting poetry - a philosophical discussion Key Concepts evolutionary theory random mutation natural selection human morality Practical Applications - using poetry to teach scientific concepts - framing evolution as a narrative for education Questions to Reflect On - How does poetic language shape our perception of scientific ideas? - Can we find spiritual meaning in a purely materialistic view of the world? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Creation Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creation-myth-432474/) [Environmental change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environmental-change/) [Make Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-evolution-432476/) [Natural selection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-selection/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Use Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-called-432475/) [Water Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water-said-319107/) [Women Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-love/) ## Related quotes > [We're not going to make Evolution or any of our other products depend on Mono anytime in the near future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-friedman/we-re-not-going-to-make-evolution-or-any-of-our-other-products-depend/) [Nat Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-friedman/) > [We're now at this place where we can make the evolution of academic content match the evolution of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/we-re-now-at-this-place-where-we-can-make-the-evolution-of-academic/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [“The creation myth is a Darwinian device for survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-o-wilson/the-creation-myth-is-a-darwinian-device-for-survival/) [Edward O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-o-wilson/) > [“Comparing the vast knowledge base that has been accumulated, tested and proven for evolution, the continuing flow of new information that further adds to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-stefanelli/comparing-the-vast-knowledge-base-that-has-been-accumulated-tested/) [Al Stefanelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-stefanelli/) > [“The anthropologist Peggy Reeves Sanday looked at data from over a hundred cultures as to the prevalence of rape, and divided them into high-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/the-anthropologist-peggy-reeves-sanday-looked-at-data-from-over-a/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [Evolution is the creation-myth of our age. By telling us our origin it shapes our views of what we are. 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But because we think of it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/when-we-think-of-the-myth-of-the-settling-of-the-west-this-is-our/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [If the Bible is a creation myth, it is an amorphous confusing one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-gitlin/if-the-bible-is-a-creation-myth-it-is-an-amorphous-confusing-one/) [Todd Gitlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-gitlin/) > [“There are two kinds of creation myths: those where life arises out of the mud, and those where life falls from the sky. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dyson/there-are-two-kinds-of-creation-myths-those-where-life-arises-out-of/) [George Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dyson/) > [By asseting the creation myth, in which God is a man over ealier creation myths in which God was viewed as a woman, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/by-asseting-the-creation-myth-in-which-god-is-a-man-over-ealier/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More by Ian McEwan > [“As you will see, we do not believe that artists have an obligation to strike up attitudes to the war. Indeed, they are wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/as-you-will-see-we-do-not-believe-that-artists-have-an-obligation-to/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [You could say that all novels are spy novels and all novelists are spy masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/you-could-say-that-all-novels-are-spy-novels-and-all-novelists-are/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I've never had a moment's doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-ve-never-had-a-moment-s-doubt-i-love-you-i-believe-in-you/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“It is shaming sometimes, how the body will not, or cannot, lie about emotions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/it-is-shaming-sometimes-how-the-body-will-not-or-cannot-lie-about/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“While my friends struggled and calculated, I reached a solution by a set of floating steps that were partly visual, partly just a feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/while-my-friends-struggled-and-calculated-i-reached-a-solution-by-a/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“Perhaps it's one of those cases of a microcosm giving you the whole world. Like a spode dinner plate. Or a single cell. Or,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/perhaps-it-s-one-of-those-cases-of-a-microcosm-giving-you-the-whole/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [Who you get, and how it works out- there's so much luck involved, as well as the million branching consequences of your conscious choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/who-you-get-and-how-it-works-out-there-s-so-much-luck-involved-as/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“On Chesil Beach he could have called out to Florence, he could have gone after her. He did not know, or would not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/on-chesil-beach-he-could-have-called-out-to-florence-he-could-have/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [It was always the view of my parents...that hot weather encouraged loose morals among young people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/it-was-always-the-view-of-my-parents-that-hot-weather-encouraged/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I apologize for being obvious, but every time I watch the curtain come down on even a halfway decent production of a Shakespeare play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-apologize-for-being-obvious-but-every-time-i-watch-the-curtain-come/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I would rather be physically disabled obviously than mentally. I would rather be paraplegic than nuts. And it is a terrifying prospect and actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-would-rather-be-physically-disabled-obviously-than-mentally-i-would/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“Words, as I'm beginning to appreciate, can make things true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/words-as-i-m-beginning-to-appreciate-can-make-things-true/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I couldn't think about novels at all. It seemed the only writing that was appropriate to that horrendous event was journalism, reportage. And, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-couldn-t-think-about-novels-at-all-it-seemed-the-only-writing-that/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I did not kill my father, but I sometimes felt I had helped him on his way. And but for the fact that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-did-not-kill-my-father-but-i-sometimes-felt-i-had-helped-him-on-his/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [“These thoughts were as familiar to her, and as comforting, as the precise configuration of her knees, their matching but competing, symmetrical and reversible,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/these-thoughts-were-as-familiar-to-her-and-as-comforting-as-the/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) [Explore all 496 Ian McEwan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) ## More Called quotes > [We are not all leaders. We are called leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/we-are-not-all-leaders-we-are-called-leaders/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Nothing will kill what you've been called to do more than comparing yourself to someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/nothing-will-kill-what-you-ve-been-called-to-do-more-than-comparing/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I also found being called Sir rather silly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-also-found-being-called-sir-rather-silly/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [I don't bite you know ... unless it's called for,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/i-don-t-bite-you-know-unless-it-s-called-for/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) > [It is called LIFE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mua/it-is-called-life/) [Mua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mua/) > [“You gave me a key and called it home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-sakavic/you-gave-me-a-key-and-called-it-home/) [Nora Sakavic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-sakavic/) > [I'll bet you anything you like that half an hour after they have met, they will be calling each other sister. Women only do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-ll-bet-you-anything-you-like-that-half-an-hour-after-they-have-met/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [More is required than a common last name to truly be called a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/more-is-required-than-a-common-last-name-to-truly-be-called-a-family/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [My wife." "By what name is she called, Kincaid?" "Mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-garwood/my-wife-by-what-name-is-she-called-kincaid-mine/) [Julie Garwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-garwood/) > [Don't call my phone and ask me who I am...you called ME!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-call-my-phone-and-ask-me-who-i-am-you-called-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I would have to go back to being a dog. 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Apparently, not many young women loved Phillip Larkin the way she did. 'If I were to construct a religion/ I should make use of water.' She said she liked the laconic use of 'called in'- as if he would be, as if anyone ever is. They stopped to drink coffee from a flask, and Perowne, tracing a line of lichen with a finger, said that if he ever got the call, he'd make us of evolution. What better creation myth? 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