--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I felt bashful, like I had when I'd first…" description: "\"“I felt bashful, like I had when I'd first told him of An Imperial Affliction. \"Um, okay. Okay. 'Let us go, trough certain half-deserted streets,/ The ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-green-12_love_i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first_1383885.jpg" --- # I felt bashful, like I had when I'd first told him of An… ![“I felt bashful, like I had when I'd first told him of An Imperial Affliction. "Um, okay. Okay. 'Let us go, trough certain half-deserted streets,/ The muttering retreats/ Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels/ and sawdust restaurants with oyster shells:/ Streets that follow like a tedious…” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-green-12_love_i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first_1383885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-green-12_love_i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first_1383885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-green-12_love_i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first_1383885.jpg) > ““I felt bashful, like I had when I'd first told him of An Imperial Affliction. "Um, okay. Okay. 'Let us go, trough certain half-deserted streets,/ The muttering retreats/ Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels/ and sawdust restaurants with oyster shells:/ Streets that follow like a tedious argument/ Of insidious intent/ To lead you to an overwhelming question../Oh, do not ask, "What is it?"/ Let us go and make our visit" "I'm in love with you," he said quietly. "Augustus," I said. "I am, " he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you." "Augustus," I said again, not knowing what else to say. It felt like everything was rising up in me, like I was drowning in this wierdly painful joy, but I couldn't say it back. I couldn't say it back. I just looked at him and let him look at me until he nodded, lips pursed, and turned away, placing the side of his head against the window.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A confession of love intertwined with existential dread, acknowledging both deep affection and the inevitable decay of all things. **In simple terms:** Love and mortality expressed together. Key Takeaway Embrace love despite life's impermanence. Themes love existentialism joy pain connection Mood intense melancholic hopeful Type romantic philosophical When to use this quote - confession of love - nighttime reflection - intimate conversation Key Concepts nihilism romanticism human condition Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance deep affection with awareness of life's fleeting nature? - What comforts you when love feels both joyous and painful? A Different Perspective Love can be overwhelming and hard to reciprocate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Romantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romantic/) [The-fault-in-our-stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-fault-in-our-stars/) ## Related quotes > [“Still perfect,” he said. “Read to me.” “This isn’t really a poem to read aloud when you are sitting next to your sleeping mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/still-perfect-he-said-read-to-me-this-isn-t-really-a-poem-to-read/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Love"I'm in love with you," he said quietly. "Augustus,"I said. "I am," he said. 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'Let us go, trough certain half-deserted streets,/ The muttering retreats/ Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels/ and sawdust restaurants with oyster shells:/ Streets that follow like a tedious argument/ Of insidious intent/ To lead you to an overwhelming question../Oh, do not ask, \"What is it?\"/ Let us go and make our visit\" \"I'm in love with you,\" he said quietly. \"Augustus,\" I said. \"I am, \" he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. \"I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.\" \"Augustus,\" I said again, not knowing what else to say. It felt like everything was rising up in me, like I was drowning in this wierdly painful joy, but I couldn't say it back. I couldn't say it back. I just looked at him and let him look at me until he nodded, lips pursed, and turned away, placing the side of his head against the window.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first-told-him-of-an-imperial/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Love" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first-told-him-of-an-imperial/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-green-12_love_i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first_1383885.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-green-12_love_i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first_1383885.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/355/john-green-12_love_i-felt-bashful-like-i-had-when-i-d-first_1383885.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I felt bashful, like I had when I'd first told him of An Imperial Affliction. \"Um, okay. 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