---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...for human words are like shadows, and…"
description: "\"...for human words are like shadows, and shadows are incapable of explaining light and between shadow and light there is the opaque body from which wor..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/jos-saramago-208_body_for-human-words-are-like-shadows-and-sha_1998793.png"
---

#  ...for human words are like shadows, and shadows are…

![“...for human words are like shadows, and shadows are incapable of explaining light and between shadow and light there is the opaque body from which words are born..” quote by Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/jos-saramago-208_body_for-human-words-are-like-shadows-and-sha_1998793.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/jos-saramago-208_body_for-human-words-are-like-shadows-and-sha_1998793.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ae/jos-saramago-208_body_for-human-words-are-like-shadows-and-sha_1998793.png)

> “...for human words are like shadows, and shadows are incapable of explaining light and between shadow and light there is the opaque body from which words are born..”

[Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Words are limited shadows that cannot fully capture the essence of light; meaning arises from the unseen.

**In simple terms:** Words are shadows, light is beyond them.

Key Takeaway

Seek beyond words.

Themes

language perception truth

Mood

thoughtful poetic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- creative writing
- teaching
- art criticism

Key Concepts

philosophy literature metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you express the ineffable?
- What lies beyond language?

A Different Perspective

Relying solely on words may obscure meaning.

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[Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Opaque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opaque/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Shadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadows/)

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