Age Quote by Joseph Conrad
“I remember my youth and the feeling that will never come back any more /the feeling that I could last for ever, outlast the sea, the earth, and all men; the deceitful feeling that lures us on to joys, to perils, to love, to vain effort /to death; the triumphant conviction of strength, the heat of life in the handful of dust, the glow in the heart that with every year grows dim, grows cold, grows small, and expires /and expires, too soon, too soon /before life itself”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Nostromo, Joseph Conrad, 1904
Reflects on youthful optimism that fades, confronting mortality and the fleeting nature of ambition and desire.
In simple terms: Youthful hope fades with time and mortality.
Key Takeaway
Embrace present moments before they slip away.
Themes
mortality
nostalgia
ambition
impermanence
Mood
melancholic
reflective
hopeful
Type
philosophical
poetic
When to use this quote
- career reflection
- personal growth
- creative projects
- relationships
- health decisions
Key Concepts
existentialism
temporal decay
human longing
Questions to Reflect On
- What aspects of youth do you still cherish?
- How can you honor past hopes while living fully now?
A Different Perspective
The quote idealizes youth, ignoring that growth can also bring new purpose.
![“So give me back that time again, When I was still ‘becoming’, [185] When words gushed like a fountain In new, and endless flowing, Then for me mists veiled the world, In every bud the wonder glowed, A thousand flowers I unfurled, [190] That every valley, richly, showed. I had nothing, yet enough…” quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/46c/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-36_power-of-love_so-give-me-back-that-time-again-when-i-w_2953106.jpg)
