--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I sat looking at her with rapt attention…" description: "\"“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 i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/knut-hamsun-1203_clock-ticking_i-sat-looking-at-her-with-rapt-attention_845782.png" --- # I sat looking at her with rapt attention. My heart was… ![“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…” quote by Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/knut-hamsun-1203_clock-ticking_i-sat-looking-at-her-with-rapt-attention_845782.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/knut-hamsun-1203_clock-ticking_i-sat-looking-at-her-with-rapt-attention_845782.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/knut-hamsun-1203_clock-ticking_i-sat-looking-at-her-with-rapt-attention_845782.png) > ““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.”” [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Ylajali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-ylajali-692110/) [Clock ticking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock-ticking/) [Foreign language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-language/) [Like Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-flowers-242075/) [Madly in love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madly-in-love/) [Said Sitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-sitting-642245/) [Sound Ylajali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound-ylajali-692111/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/) [Ylajali Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ylajali-like-692109/) ## Related quotes > [“Don't save it till the night before," she said, sitting on her desk and swinging her legs. 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"Too bad for you, I'm not in heat," I said, calming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-king/get-a-grip-you-re-pricklier-than-a-feral-cat-he-said-sitting-up-too/) [Tiffany King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-king/) > [My parents said that sitting at home playing video games all day won't bring you anywhere in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pewdiepie/my-parents-said-that-sitting-at-home-playing-video-games-all-day-won/) [PewDiePie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pewdiepie/) > [You have to cherish things in a different way when you know the clock is ticking, you are under pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/you-have-to-cherish-things-in-a-different-way-when-you-know-the-clock/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [The library smells like old books — a thousand leather doorways into other worlds. I hear silence, like the mind of God. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/the-library-smells-like-old-books-a-thousand-leather-doorways-into/) [Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/) > [“Clock is ticking. The night turns into a morning. And here I am grieving. Memories re remaining”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annisa-ninggorkasih/clock-is-ticking-the-night-turns-into-a-morning-and-here-i-am/) [Annisa Ninggorkasih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annisa-ninggorkasih/) > [There is only one thing about which I shall have no regrets when my life ends. I have savored to the full all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-sligh-turnbull/there-is-only-one-thing-about-which-i-shall-have-no-regrets-when-my/) [Agnes Sligh Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-sligh-turnbull/) > [That awkward moment when silence fills the room, and the only thing you can hear is the sound of a clock ticking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-dawn/that-awkward-moment-when-silence-fills-the-room-and-the-only-thing/) [Anne Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-dawn/) > [You get 15 minutes of fame, I hear, and I've had 14 minutes. The clock's ticking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/you-get-15-minutes-of-fame-i-hear-and-i-ve-had-14-minutes-the-clock-s/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) ## More by Knut Hamsun > [“Well, God be with you,’ she said as she finally left him. ’I’m sure He is,’ he replied. She gave a start. ’Are you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/well-god-be-with-you-she-said-as-she-finally-left-him-i-m-sure-he-is/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“De sier hun er melle firti og femti, men hun er mindst seksti, ropte han, og er slikt menneskelig? 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But I admire and love the result of the genius's activity in the world, of which the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/no-i-don-t-admire-the-genius-but-i-admire-and-love-the-result-of-the/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Gud hvor De ser ut som en sån melankolsk fabelkat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/gud-hvor-de-ser-ut-som-en-s-n-melankolsk-fabelkat/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Daniel var en mand som forstod adskillig, han hadde været ute for et og andet i livet, hadde mistet både sin farsgård og sin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/daniel-var-en-mand-som-forstod-adskillig-han-hadde-v-ret-ute-for-et/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“I imagined I had discovered a new word. I rise up in bed and say, "It is not in the language; I have discovered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/i-imagined-i-had-discovered-a-new-word-i-rise-up-in-bed-and-say-it-is/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Poteten det var en ny frukt, det var intet mystisk ved den, intet religiøst, kvinnfolk og barn kunne være med og få den satt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/poteten-det-var-en-ny-frukt-det-var-intet-mystisk-ved-den-intet/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“Solen er forlængst dukket under synsranden, fjældene er blit hvitlig grønne, de ser ut i sin fjærnhet og i sin vælde som en verden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/solen-er-forl-ngst-dukket-under-synsranden-fj-ldene-er-blit-hvitlig/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [“If I happened to find a diamond one day, I would call it Dagny, because the very sound of your name thrills me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/if-i-happened-to-find-a-diamond-one-day-i-would-call-it-dagny-because/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) > [There are some people who cannot help giving. Why? Because they experience a real psychological pleasure in doing so. They don't do it with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knut-hamsun/there-are-some-people-who-cannot-help-giving-why-because-they/) [Knut Hamsun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) [Explore all 197 Knut Hamsun quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knut-hamsun/) ## More Clock ticking quotes > [You get 15 minutes of fame, I hear, and I've had 14 minutes. The clock's ticking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/you-get-15-minutes-of-fame-i-hear-and-i-ve-had-14-minutes-the-clock-s/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [That awkward moment when silence fills the room, and the only thing you can hear is the sound of a clock ticking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-dawn/that-awkward-moment-when-silence-fills-the-room-and-the-only-thing/) [Anne Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-dawn/) > [There is only one thing about which I shall have no regrets when my life ends. I have savored to the full all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-sligh-turnbull/there-is-only-one-thing-about-which-i-shall-have-no-regrets-when-my/) [Agnes Sligh Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-sligh-turnbull/) > [“Clock is ticking. The night turns into a morning. And here I am grieving. Memories re remaining”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annisa-ninggorkasih/clock-is-ticking-the-night-turns-into-a-morning-and-here-i-am/) [Annisa Ninggorkasih](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annisa-ninggorkasih/) > [The library smells like old books — a thousand leather doorways into other worlds. I hear silence, like the mind of God. I feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-whitcomb/the-library-smells-like-old-books-a-thousand-leather-doorways-into/) [Laura Whitcomb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-whitcomb/) > [You have to cherish things in a different way when you know the clock is ticking, you are under pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/you-have-to-cherish-things-in-a-different-way-when-you-know-the-clock/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [When I go up, especially if I'm paying for a small helicopter and pilot, I'm on. I've got an hour and a half and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/when-i-go-up-especially-if-i-m-paying-for-a-small-helicopter-and/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [I thought of something in mind; a feeling that I couldn't define, the past that I left behind, the problems that are falling in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romeo-huerbana/i-thought-of-something-in-mind-a-feeling-that-i-couldn-t-define-the/) [Romeo Huerbana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romeo-huerbana/) > [“TIL KINGDOM COME you'll be the one. FOR YOU theres NO MORE KEEPING MY FEET ON THE GROUND. My head is in the clouds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhyan-roads/til-kingdom-come-you-ll-be-the-one-for-you-theres-no-more-keeping-my/) [Rhyan Roads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhyan-roads/) > [“I'm not sure why, but when a person expects something to last forever, they don't notice the little things. It's only when the clock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-wiersbitzky/i-m-not-sure-why-but-when-a-person-expects-something-to-last-forever/) [Shannon Wiersbitzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-wiersbitzky/) > [I was happy to carry on without children because I was completely immersed in my work and my career. I only heard the clock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-stansfield/i-was-happy-to-carry-on-without-children-because-i-was-completely/) [Lisa Stansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-stansfield/) > [I watch the clock ticking away and keep thinking about the things you do and the people you meet. 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He should be worried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareena-kapoor/why-should-i-worry-about-the-biological-clock-ticking-saif-is-10/) [Kareena Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareena-kapoor/) > [This is your life and the clock is ticking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-mcgraw/this-is-your-life-and-the-clock-is-ticking/) [Phil McGraw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-mcgraw/) [Browse all 71 Clock ticking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock-ticking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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. 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