--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To look at any thing, If you would know…" description: "\"To look at any thing, If you would know that thing, You must look at it long: To look at this green and say, \"I have seen spring in these Woods,\" will ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89f/john-moffitt-52783_awe_to-look-at-any-thing-if-you-would-know-t_1836658.jpg" --- # To look at any thing, If you would know that thing, You… ![“To look at any thing, If you would know that thing, You must look at it long: To look at this green and say, "I have seen spring in these Woods," will not do - you must Be the thing you see: You must be the dark snakes of Stems and ferny plumes of leaves, You must enter in To the small silences…” quote by John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89f/john-moffitt-52783_awe_to-look-at-any-thing-if-you-would-know-t_1836658.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89f/john-moffitt-52783_awe_to-look-at-any-thing-if-you-would-know-t_1836658.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89f/john-moffitt-52783_awe_to-look-at-any-thing-if-you-would-know-t_1836658.jpg) > “To look at any thing, If you would know that thing, You must look at it long: To look at this green and say, "I have seen spring in these Woods," will not do - you must Be the thing you see: You must be the dark snakes of Stems and ferny plumes of leaves, You must enter in To the small silences between The leaves, You must take your time And touch the very peace They issue from.” [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poem urges deep, patient observation of nature, becoming one with it to truly understand its peace. **In simple terms:** Deep observation makes you part of nature. Key Takeaway Slowly immerse to feel nature’s peace. Themes mindfulness nature patience Mood reflective calming Type poetic spiritual When to use this quote - forest walks - meditation - creative writing Key Concepts embodiment silence inner peace Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice this in daily life? - What does “being the dark snakes” mean to you? A Different Perspective May be impractical for busy lives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awe/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Snakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snakes/) [Spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spring/) [Take your time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-your-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woods/) ## Related quotes > [To look at any thing, If you would know that thing, You must look at it long...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moffitt/to-look-at-any-thing-if-you-would-know-that-thing-you-must-look-at-it-2/) [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) > [“The world is here only as long as you look for it, only as long as you keep your eyes open.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-poissant/the-world-is-here-only-as-long-as-you-look-for-it-only-as-long-as-you/) [David James Poissant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-poissant/) > [“I've seen the spring now and I'm going to see the summer. I'm going to see everything grow here. I'm going to grow here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hodgson-burnett/i-ve-seen-the-spring-now-and-i-m-going-to-see-the-summer-i-m-going-to/) [Frances Hodgson Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hodgson-burnett/) > [“As long as you two look out for each other, you’ll be safe enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/as-long-as-you-two-look-out-for-each-other-you-ll-be-safe-enough/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am most certain of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/i-have-lived-in-this-world-just-long-enough-to-look-carefully-the/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Around 2010 - I took a long look at everybody I had around me because I wanted to make sure they were aligned with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/around-2010-i-took-a-long-look-at-everybody-i-had-around-me-because-i/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [The cure for him would be to take a good long look at some potato plants, which have lately had such a deep and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/the-cure-for-him-would-be-to-take-a-good-long-look-at-some-potato/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [“take a long look before you judge”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-ramdhan/take-a-long-look-before-you-judge/) TARA RAMDHAN > [When you're young, and you head out to wonderful, everything is fresh and bright as a brand new penny, but before you get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goolrick/when-you-re-young-and-you-head-out-to-wonderful-everything-is-fresh/) [Robert Goolrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goolrick/) > [The life of a rock & roll band will last as long as you can look down into the audience and see yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/the-life-of-a-rock-roll-band-will-last-as-long-as-you-can-look-down/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [We should all be involved in the avant-garde as long as we look toward the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-should-all-be-involved-in-the-avant-garde-as-long-as-we-look/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are many things in life that become different if you take a long look at them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-many-things-in-life-that-become-different-if-you-take-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“send her a long look. I am not dense. She does not seek a sympathetic ear from me. She simply does not know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-r-king/send-her-a-long-look-i-am-not-dense-she-does-not-seek-a-sympathetic/) [Emily R. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-r-king/) > [Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/every-man-is-a-king-so-long-as-he-has-someone-to-look-down-on/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“Take a good long look at The Lord’s Prayer . It’s all ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’. There is no ‘me’, ‘I’ or ‘mine’ anywhere.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hamilton/take-a-good-long-look-at-the-lord-s-prayer-it-s-all-we-us-and-our/) [Anne Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hamilton/) ## More by John Moffitt > [I just really thought about it and decided I'm not happy. I'm not happy at all. And I think it's really madness to risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moffitt/i-just-really-thought-about-it-and-decided-i-m-not-happy-i-m-not/) [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) > [“-you must Be the thing you see: You must enter in to the small silences between the leaves, take your time and touch the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moffitt/you-must-be-the-thing-you-see-you-must-enter-in-to-the-small-silences/) [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) > [I just want to be happy. And I find that people that have the least in life are sometimes the happiest. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moffitt/i-just-want-to-be-happy-and-i-find-that-people-that-have-the-least-in/) [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) > [To look at any thing, If you would know that thing, You must look at it long...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moffitt/to-look-at-any-thing-if-you-would-know-that-thing-you-must-look-at-it-2/) [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) > [The biggest danger in sailing is not the open ocean. It's hitting things. So if I have a thousand miles between me and land,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moffitt/the-biggest-danger-in-sailing-is-not-the-open-ocean-it-s-hitting/) [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) > [It’s disturbing that people are questioning my sanity for giving up the money. What does that say about our world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-moffitt/it-s-disturbing-that-people-are-questioning-my-sanity-for-giving-up/) [John Moffitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) [Explore all 7 John Moffitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-moffitt/) ## More Awe quotes > [Because I've never had any higher education of any sort, I've never held in awe those who have had it or have a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/because-i-ve-never-had-any-higher-education-of-any-sort-i-ve-never/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [“I know you deserve better than me. You think I don’t know that? But if there was any woman made for me … it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/i-know-you-deserve-better-than-me-you-think-i-don-t-know-that-but-if/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [There are certain scenes that would awe an atheist into belief without the help of any other argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gray/there-are-certain-scenes-that-would-awe-an-atheist-into-belief/) [Thomas Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gray/) > [As we contemplate with reverence and awe how our Savior embraces us, comforts us, and heals us, let us commit to become His hands,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/as-we-contemplate-with-reverence-and-awe-how-our-savior-embraces-us/) [Dieter F. 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Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [“Oftentimes we call Life bitter names, but only when we ourselves are bitter and dark. And we deem her empty and unprofitable, but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/oftentimes-we-call-life-bitter-names-but-only-when-we-ourselves-are/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [The laws of nature are the skeleton of the universe. They support it, give it shape, tie it together. Taken as a whole, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-trefil/the-laws-of-nature-are-the-skeleton-of-the-universe-they-support-it/) James Trefil > [When you look at yourself and feel dissatisfaction about any part of you, you will continue to attract feelings of dissatisfaction, because the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/when-you-look-at-yourself-and-feel-dissatisfaction-about-any-part-of/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [“What can we make of the inexpressible joy of children? 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