--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Yesterday a child came out to wonder…" description: "\"Yesterday a child came out to wonder Caught a dragonfly inside a jar Fearful when the sky was full of thunder And tearful at the falling of a star\" — J..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/joni-mitchell-1160_caught_yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-cau_2123918.png" --- # Yesterday a child came out to wonder Caught a dragonfly… ![“Yesterday a child came out to wonder Caught a dragonfly inside a jar Fearful when the sky was full of thunder And tearful at the falling of a star” quote by Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/joni-mitchell-1160_caught_yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-cau_2123918.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/joni-mitchell-1160_caught_yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-cau_2123918.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/joni-mitchell-1160_caught_yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-cau_2123918.png) > “Yesterday a child came out to wonder Caught a dragonfly inside a jar Fearful when the sky was full of thunder And tearful at the falling of a star” [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child’s curiosity meets fear and wonder when confronting nature’s mysteries. **In simple terms:** Kids feel awe and fear with new experiences. Key Takeaway Embrace curiosity despite fear. Themes wonder fear nature childhood Mood reflective melancholy hopeful Type poetic ly When to use this quote - learning - outdoor play - storm watching Key Concepts growth exploration Questions to Reflect On - What does the dragonfly symbolize for you? - How can fear become a teacher? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught/) [Caught Dragonfly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught-dragonfly-4346972/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dragonflies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragonflies/) [Dragonfly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragonfly/) [Dragonfly Inside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dragonfly-inside-4346973/) [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Fearful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fearful/) [Jar Fearful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jar-fearful-4346975/) [Jars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jars/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Thunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thunder/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) [Wonder Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder-caught-4346974/) [Yesterday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yesterday/) ## Related quotes > [Deep in the sun-searched growths the dragonfly Hangs like a blue thread loosened from the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-gabriel-rossetti/deep-in-the-sun-searched-growths-the-dragonfly-hangs-like-a-blue/) [Dante Gabriel Rossetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-gabriel-rossetti/) > [Smile / to see the lake / lay / the still sky / And / out for an easy / make / the dragonfly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorine-niedecker/smile-to-see-the-lake-lay-the-still-sky-and-out-for-an-easy-make-the/) [Lorine Niedecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorine-niedecker/) > [It's very far away/It takes about a half a day to get there/ If we travel by-dragonfly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/it-s-very-far-away-it-takes-about-a-half-a-day-to-get-there-if-we/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [Their love as a dragonfly, skimming over echo park, stoppin to visit the lotus. Eating dreams and drinking blue sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-fitch/their-love-as-a-dragonfly-skimming-over-echo-park-stoppin-to-visit/) [Janet Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-fitch/) > [Reflected in the dragonfly's eye -- mountains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kobayashi-issa/reflected-in-the-dragonfly-s-eye-mountains/) [Kobayashi Issa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kobayashi-issa/) > [If you are old and you wish to be young again, if only for a moment, try and identify a dragonfly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-barnes/if-you-are-old-and-you-wish-to-be-young-again-if-only-for-a-moment/) [Simon Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-barnes/) > [The point of the dragonfly's terrible lip, the giant water bug, birdsong, or the beautiful dazzle and flash of sunlighted minnows,is not that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/the-point-of-the-dragonfly-s-terrible-lip-the-giant-water-bug/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“the dragonfly symbolizes change in the perspective of self-realization? Change in mental and emotional maturity and in the understanding of the deeper meaning of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-green/the-dragonfly-symbolizes-change-in-the-perspective-of-self/) [Stacy Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-green/) > [“From his bedroom window on the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Nathaniel Dixon watched in awe at the four-ship formation of V-22 Ospreys chewing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-marker/from-his-bedroom-window-on-the-marine-corps-base-in-quantico/) [Jonathan Marker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-marker/) > [“The wind shook some blossoms from the trees, and the heavy lilac blooms, with their clustering stars, moved to and fro in the languid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-wind-shook-some-blossoms-from-the-trees-and-the-heavy-lilac/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I remember one time watching a bird snatch a dragonfly out of midair and thinking, 'Gee, life can come to an end - crunch!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-larson/i-remember-one-time-watching-a-bird-snatch-a-dragonfly-out-of-midair/) [Gary Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-larson/) > [“I can still only see a dragonfly, its wings as thin and light as silk and its body the color of rainbow. But on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniela-norris/i-can-still-only-see-a-dragonfly-its-wings-as-thin-and-light-as-silk/) [Daniela Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniela-norris/) > [“Alice stopped walking as a dragonfly hovered close. 'Yellow-winged darter.' The name came to mind of its own accord. She watched as the insect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-morton/alice-stopped-walking-as-a-dragonfly-hovered-close-yellow-winged/) [Kate Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-morton/) > [“The other day, I tried to remember what was the word for ‘dragonfly’ and couldn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/the-other-day-i-tried-to-remember-what-was-the-word-for-dragonfly-and/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [“I no longer hated the whining, menacing dragonfly we rode in, but admired its grace as we surged towards the clouds, the lights of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-pugh/i-no-longer-hated-the-whining-menacing-dragonfly-we-rode-in-but/) [Rosie Pugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-pugh/) ## More by Joni Mitchell > [They paved paradise and put up a parkin lot With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin' hot spot Don't it always seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/they-paved-paradise-and-put-up-a-parkin-lot-with-a-pink-hotel-a/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [And the seasons they go 'round and 'round And the painted ponies go up and down We're captive on the carousel of time We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/and-the-seasons-they-go-round-and-round-and-the-painted-ponies-go-up/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I have one piece of music, since 1997, and I don't see it having lyrics. Where does it go in this world? So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-have-one-piece-of-music-since-1997-and-i-don-t-see-it-having-lyrics/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Musically, I would never run dry. Any time I sit down to an instrument, I could write a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/musically-i-would-never-run-dry-any-time-i-sit-down-to-an-instrument/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [You snipe so steady, you snub so snide, so rip and ready to diminish and deride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/you-snipe-so-steady-you-snub-so-snide-so-rip-and-ready-to-diminish/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I loved Debussy, Stravinsky, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, anything with romantic melodies, especially the nocturnes. Nietzsche was a hero, especially with 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra.' He gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-loved-debussy-stravinsky-chopin-tchaikovsky-anything-with-romantic/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [When the spirit of child's play enters into the creative process, it's a wonderful force and something to be nurtured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/when-the-spirit-of-child-s-play-enters-into-the-creative-process-it-s/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Americans have decided to be stupid and shallow since 1980.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/americans-have-decided-to-be-stupid-and-shallow-since-1980/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I was young for my age. Not as naïve as they expected. I don't know why I seem to bring that out in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-was-young-for-my-age-not-as-na-ve-as-they-expected-i-don-t-know-why/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [This is a nation that has lost the ability to be self-critical, and that makes a lie out of the freedoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/this-is-a-nation-that-has-lost-the-ability-to-be-self-critical-and/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [Land of snap decisions, land of short attention spans, nothing is savored long enough to really understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/land-of-snap-decisions-land-of-short-attention-spans-nothing-is/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I like my freedom. I like to do my own grocery shopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-like-my-freedom-i-like-to-do-my-own-grocery-shopping/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I'm not a pitiable creature. It's just that I suffer very eloquently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-m-not-a-pitiable-creature-it-s-just-that-i-suffer-very-eloquently/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [I can't remember anything I ever wrote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/i-can-t-remember-anything-i-ever-wrote/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) [Explore all 281 Joni Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) ## More Caught quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [Hollywood is very much an industry town. Your life becomes caught up in all of the parties and this list and that list. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-johnson/hollywood-is-very-much-an-industry-town-your-life-becomes-caught-up/) [Don Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-johnson/) > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/) [Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/) > [Merkel has realized that the euro is not working, but she cannot change the narrative she has created because that narrative has caught the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/merkel-has-realized-that-the-euro-is-not-working-but-she-cannot/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Sam reached his hand toward mine and I automatically put my fingers in his. With a guilty little smile he pulled my hand toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/sam-reached-his-hand-toward-mine-and-i-automatically-put-my-fingers/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [I never caught on to being a bully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/i-never-caught-on-to-being-a-bully/) [Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/) > [“I caught you!" he beamed. "See, girls really do throw themselves at me. Hey, guys!" His voice echoed off the carved stone and marble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-kirk/i-caught-you-he-beamed-see-girls-really-do-throw-themselves-at-me-hey/) [A&E Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-e-kirk/) > [In the olden days in England, you could be hung for stealing a sheep or a loaf of bread. However, if a sheep stole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-harding/in-the-olden-days-in-england-you-could-be-hung-for-stealing-a-sheep/) [Mike Harding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-harding/) > [Everybody here is so caught up in the game of life they don't see death. They don't see beyond their deaths. They are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everybody-here-is-so-caught-up-in-the-game-of-life-they-don-t-see/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [America today is a confused society, caught up in a terror war, a culture war, and a media war, where honesty and professional standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/america-today-is-a-confused-society-caught-up-in-a-terror-war-a/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [My phone rings, they call me up and say, 'Chael, your testosterone level is too high.' I say, 'Well, how high was it?' They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chael-sonnen/my-phone-rings-they-call-me-up-and-say-chael-your-testosterone-level/) [Chael Sonnen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chael-sonnen/) > [Do not be caught up in materialism, one of the real plagues of our generation-that is, acquiring things, fast-paced living, and securing career success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/do-not-be-caught-up-in-materialism-one-of-the-real-plagues-of-our/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) [Browse all 2,627 Caught quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Yesterday a child came out to wonder Caught a dragonfly inside a jar Fearful when the sky was full of thunder And tearful at the falling of a star", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joni Mitchell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-caught-a-dragonfly-inside-a-jar/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Caught" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-caught-a-dragonfly-inside-a-jar/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/joni-mitchell-1160_caught_yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-cau_2123918.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/joni-mitchell-1160_caught_yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-cau_2123918.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72f/joni-mitchell-1160_caught_yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-cau_2123918.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Yesterday a child came out to wonder Caught a dragonfly inside a jar Fearful when the sky was full of…” — Joni Mitchell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joni Mitchell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Yesterday a child came out to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-caught-a-dragonfly-inside-a-jar/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/yesterday-a-child-came-out-to-wonder-caught-a-dragonfly-inside-a-jar/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```