Clock ticking Quote by Knut Hamsun
““I sat looking at her with rapt attention. My heart was thumping, the blood coursing warmly through my veins. What a wonderful pleasure to be sitting in a human dwelling again, hear a clock ticking, and talk with a lively young girl instead of with myself! Why don't you say something?" Ah, how sweet you are!" I said. "I'm sitting here getting fascinated by you, at this moment I'm thoroughly fascinated. I can't help it. You are the strangest person that... Sometimes your eyes are so radiant, I've never seen anything like it, they look like flowers. Eh? No, no, maybe not like flowers but... I'm madly in love with you, and it won't do me a bit of good. What's your name? Really, you must tell me what your name is..." No, what's your name? Goodness, I almost forgot again! I was thinking all day yesterday that I must ask you. Well, that is, not all day yesterday, I certainly didn't think about you all day yesterday." Do you know what I've called you? I have called you Ylajali. How do you like it? Such a gliding sound-" Ylajali?" Yes." Is it a foreign language?" Hmm. No, it's not." Well, it isn't ugly.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Last Joy, 1915
The narrator’s obsessive fascination with another person reveals longing for connection, yet the self‑absorbed yearning creates confusion and emotional turbulence.
In simple terms: Obsessive love blurs reality and self.
Key Takeaway
Beware of losing self in infatuation.
Themes
love
obsession
identity
loneliness
Mood
melancholic
intense
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- first dates
- confessional writing
- self‑reflection
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
psychology
romantic idealism
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this obsession reveal about the narrator’s self‑esteem?
- How might healthy boundaries change the dynamic?
A Different Perspective
Intense focus on another can eclipse personal growth and clarity.
![“I imagined I had discovered a new word. I rise up in bed and say, "It is not in the language; I have discovered it. 'Kuboa.' It has letters as a word has. By the benign God, Man you have discovered a word!... 'Kuboa' ... a word of profound import. [...] Some minutes pass over, and I wax nervous…” quote by Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bd0/knut-hamsun-1203_language_i-imagined-i-had-discovered-a-new-word-i_170312.jpg)
