--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we arrived in London, my sadness at…" description: "\"When we arrived in London, my sadness at leaving Paris was turned into despair. After my long stay in the French capital, huge, ponderous, massive Lond..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/james-weldon-johnson-10512_despair_when-we-arrived-in-london-my-sadness-at_2022540.png" --- # When we arrived in London, my sadness at leaving Paris was… ![“When we arrived in London, my sadness at leaving Paris was turned into despair. After my long stay in the French capital, huge, ponderous, massive London seemed to me as ugly a thing as man could contrive to make.” quote by James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/james-weldon-johnson-10512_despair_when-we-arrived-in-london-my-sadness-at_2022540.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/james-weldon-johnson-10512_despair_when-we-arrived-in-london-my-sadness-at_2022540.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/873/james-weldon-johnson-10512_despair_when-we-arrived-in-london-my-sadness-at_2022540.png) > “When we arrived in London, my sadness at leaving Paris was turned into despair. After my long stay in the French capital, huge, ponderous, massive London seemed to me as ugly a thing as man could contrive to make.” [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving a beloved place can turn sadness into deeper despair when the new environment feels oppressive. **In simple terms:** Leaving a cherished city can cause deep gloom in a new, harsh setting. Key Takeaway Recognize and process grief before judging new places. Themes loss transition perception urbanism Mood melancholic reflective Type personal reflective When to use this quote - relocation - travel - cultural adjustment - urban planning Key Concepts psychology environmental adaptation Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of London could you appreciate? - How can you reframe the experience positively? A Different Perspective Despair may stem from personal bias rather than objective reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [Paris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paris/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) ## Related quotes > [I was given an eight-foot painting on a luminous yellow background as a parting gift when leaving Paris in 2008. 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Big. Huge. Massive. And fucking gorgeous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasinda-wilder/a-man-big-huge-massive-and-fucking-gorgeous/) [Jasinda Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasinda-wilder/) ## More by James Weldon Johnson > [There are a great many colored people who are ashamed of the cake-walk, but I think they ought to be proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/there-are-a-great-many-colored-people-who-are-ashamed-of-the-cake/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [Nothing great or enduring, especially in music, has ever sprung full-fledged and unprecedented from the brain of any master; the best he gives to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/nothing-great-or-enduring-especially-in-music-has-ever-sprung-full/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty. 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