Backward Quote by John Crowley
““Time, I think, is like walking backward away from something: say, from a kiss. First there is the kiss; then you step back, and the eyes fill up your vision, then the eyes are framed in the face as you step further away; the face then is part of a body, and then the body is framed in a doorway, then the doorway framed in the trees beside it. The path grows longer and the door smaller, the trees fill up your sight and the door is lost, then the path is lost in the woods and the woods lost in the hills. Yet somewhere in the center still is the kiss. That's what time is like.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Little, Big by John Crowley, 1981
Time expands backward like a receding scene, keeping the initial moment at its core while everything else recedes.
In simple terms: Time feels like moving away from a kiss, but the kiss stays central.
Key Takeaway
Remember the core moment as things change.
Themes
time
memory
perception
nostalgia
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
metaphorical
literary
When to use this quote
- reflecting on loss
- appreciating moments
- writing
- visual arts
- mindfulness
Key Concepts
philosophy
psychology
narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you keep core memories alive?
- What does the kiss symbolize for you?
A Different Perspective
Time is subjective and may not be linear for everyone.
