---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Before dawn, the air smelled of lemons."
description: "\"“Before dawn, the air smelled of lemons.”\" — Luanne Rice"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/luanne-rice-12229_dawn_before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons-16_1621606.jpg"
---

#  Before dawn, the air smelled of lemons.

![“Before dawn, the air smelled of lemons.” quote by Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/luanne-rice-12229_dawn_before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons-16_1621606.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/luanne-rice-12229_dawn_before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons-16_1621606.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/luanne-rice-12229_dawn_before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons-16_1621606.jpg)

> ““Before dawn, the air smelled of lemons.””

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

## About This Quote

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

The line evokes a fresh, hopeful atmosphere before sunrise, using lemon scent as a metaphor for renewal.

**In simple terms:** Morning air smells like lemons, signaling new beginnings.

Key Takeaway

Embrace the fresh start each day offers.

Themes

nature hope renewal sensory

Mood

tranquil optimistic

Type

literary descriptive

When to use this quote

- early morning walks
- writing sessions
- meditation

Key Concepts

metaphor atmosphere

Questions to Reflect On

- What scents remind you of new starts?
- How does sensory detail affect mood?

A Different Perspective

May be overly poetic for some readers.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dawn/) [Lemons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lemons/) [Love story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-story/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/)

## Related quotes

> [“She smelled sometimes of lemons, sometimes of sage, sometimes of roses, sometimes of bay leaf. At times I would no longer hear what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/she-smelled-sometimes-of-lemons-sometimes-of-sage-sometimes-of-roses/)

[Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/)

> [The air smelled of paper and dust and years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-air-smelled-of-paper-and-dust-and-years/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“... and the warm air smelled of mildew and some instinct, programmed by all the movies I had ever seen and all the songs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/and-the-warm-air-smelled-of-mildew-and-some-instinct-programmed-by/)

[Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/)

> [The air smelled like a mélange of everyone's perfume and hair products, with a slight undertone of booze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/the-air-smelled-like-a-m-lange-of-everyone-s-perfume-and-hair/)

[Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/)

> [“Inside, the air smelled so fragile you could break it with a sneeze.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-gooch-hummer/inside-the-air-smelled-so-fragile-you-could-break-it-with-a-sneeze/)

[Jennifer Gooch Hummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-gooch-hummer/)

> [The Deadwood dirt they painted on us with powder. The air always smelled of livestock and something burning, gave a sooty, dense feel to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-weigert/the-deadwood-dirt-they-painted-on-us-with-powder-the-air-always/)

[Robin Weigert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-weigert/)

> [“The air smelled clean, crisp, and had a rewarding freshness to it that anyone should have enjoyed. But for Anna, the burning pain in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-charlins/the-air-smelled-clean-crisp-and-had-a-rewarding-freshness-to-it-that/)

[Claire Charlins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-charlins/)

> [“The air smelled of salt and sand and fish. As though all was peace, and harvesttime, and autumn nights. Not the end of everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-berry/the-air-smelled-of-salt-and-sand-and-fish-as-though-all-was-peace-and/)

[Julie Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-berry/)

> [“The air smelled of blood, sweat, and anger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-orlowski-peart/the-air-smelled-of-blood-sweat-and-anger/)

[Angela Orlowski-Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-orlowski-peart/)

> [“The air smelled of salt and frying fish, of hot tar and honey, of incense and oil and sperm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/the-air-smelled-of-salt-and-frying-fish-of-hot-tar-and-honey-of/)

[George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/)

> [“The air smelled of box and mint and thyme and newly turned earth. Laura”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosamunde-pilcher/the-air-smelled-of-box-and-mint-and-thyme-and-newly-turned-earth-laura/)

[Rosamunde Pilcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosamunde-pilcher/)

> [“And it made you wonder if this was the way the air had always smelled in places like upstate Minnesota and in Oregon and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/and-it-made-you-wonder-if-this-was-the-way-the-air-had-always-smelled/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [“It was a large room, heavily outfitted with the usual badly ventilated furnaces, rows of bubbling crucibles, and one stuffed alligator. Things floated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-was-a-large-room-heavily-outfitted-with-the-usual-badly-ventilated/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [“It was not the site of the earth which surprised him – it was the smell. … This earth and air smelled alive. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cordwainer-smith/it-was-not-the-site-of-the-earth-which-surprised-him-it-was-the-smell/)

[Cordwainer Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cordwainer-smith/)

> [His thumb went back and forth over the satin, as if he were rubbing her hip as he had when they’d been together, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/his-thumb-went-back-and-forth-over-the-satin-as-if-he-were-rubbing/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

## More by Luanne Rice

> [The music never leaves. Once you have it, you can't lose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/the-music-never-leaves-once-you-have-it-you-can-t-lose-it/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [I was married to a law student, and I used to attend classes with him at Georgetown University Law Center. Being of dramatic bent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/i-was-married-to-a-law-student-and-i-used-to-attend-classes-with-him/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [My first three-sisters novel in a while, 'Sandcastles' tells the story of the Sullivan family - two passionate artists and their three wildly different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/my-first-three-sisters-novel-in-a-while-sandcastles-tells-the-story/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [Some feelings are stronger than fear: love, longing, desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/some-feelings-are-stronger-than-fear-love-longing-desire/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [Here are a few of the actors who have brought my novels to TV life: Bill Pullman, Holly Hunter, Frances McDormand, Julian Sands, Gena…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/here-are-a-few-of-the-actors-who-have-brought-my-novels-to-tv-life/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [The Secret Life of Bees proves that a family can be found where you least expect it-maybe not under your own roof, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/the-secret-life-of-bees-proves-that-a-family-can-be-found-where-you/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [“All I know is we're 16 and ready to be kissed, kissed kissed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/all-i-know-is-we-re-16-and-ready-to-be-kissed-kissed-kissed/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> ['Little Night' comes from deep in my heart, and tells about the lengths people will go for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/little-night-comes-from-deep-in-my-heart-and-tells-about-the-lengths/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [never judge anyone by their appearance, or the car they drive, or the house they live in, or even by the words they say.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/never-judge-anyone-by-their-appearance-or-the-car-they-drive-or-the/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [Goodbyes were impossible, unless you didn't realize you were saying them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/goodbyes-were-impossible-unless-you-didn-t-realize-you-were-saying/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [Judgment is easy: it is black and white, as brutal as a gavel strike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/judgment-is-easy-it-is-black-and-white-as-brutal-as-a-gavel-strike/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [I am honored to have had two Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions made from my novels - 'Silver Bells' and 'Follow the Stars Home.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/i-am-honored-to-have-had-two-hallmark-hall-of-fame-productions-made/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [Anyone with a heart, with a family, has experienced loss. No one escapes unscathed. Every story of separation is different, but I think we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/anyone-with-a-heart-with-a-family-has-experienced-loss-no-one-escapes/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [The biggest mistake any of us can make is thinking that love is a feeling, an emotion. It's not that at all. It's an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/the-biggest-mistake-any-of-us-can-make-is-thinking-that-love-is-a/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

> [I traveled to Ireland to research 'Sandcastles,' to visit the coastline where my ancestors looked toward America, the tiny town they once loved so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/i-traveled-to-ireland-to-research-sandcastles-to-visit-the-coastline/)

[Luanne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

[Explore all 53 Luanne Rice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/)

## More Dawn quotes

> [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/)

[Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/)

> [Those nights lying alone are not discontinuous with this cold hectic dawn. It is who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/those-nights-lying-alone-are-not-discontinuous-with-this-cold-hectic/)

[Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/)

> [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/)

[Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/)

> [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/)

[John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/)

> [May dawn, as the proverb goes, bring happy tidings coming from her mother night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeschylus/may-dawn-as-the-proverb-goes-bring-happy-tidings-coming-from-her/)

[Aeschylus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aeschylus/)

> [Slow buds the pink dawn like a rose From out night's gray and cloudy sheath; Softly and still it grows and grows, Petal by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-chauncey-woolsey/slow-buds-the-pink-dawn-like-a-rose-from-out-night-s-gray-and-cloudy/)

[Sarah Chauncey Woolsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-chauncey-woolsey/)

> [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [When there's doom and gloom, don't forget there's darkness before dawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/when-there-s-doom-and-gloom-don-t-forget-there-s-darkness-before-dawn/)

[Rakesh Jhunjhunwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/)

> [I just wanna stay weird till dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozavzi-jason-trespect/i-just-wanna-stay-weird-till-dawn/)

Ozavzi Jason Trespect

> [After my final Breaking Dawn scene, I felt like I could shoot up into the night sky and every pore of my body would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/after-my-final-breaking-dawn-scene-i-felt-like-i-could-shoot-up-into/)

[Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/)

> [My father kept me busy from dawn to dusk when I was a kid. When I wasn't pitching hay, hauling corn or running a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-feller/my-father-kept-me-busy-from-dawn-to-dusk-when-i-was-a-kid-when-i-wasn/)

[Bob Feller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-feller/)

> [Don't you know that day dawns after night, showers displace drought, and spring and summer follow winter? Then, have hope! Hope forever, for God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/don-t-you-know-that-day-dawns-after-night-showers-displace-drought/)

[Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/)

> [In the beginning, people prayed to the Creatress of Life, the Mistress of Heaven. At the very dawn of religion, God was a woman.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merlin-stone/in-the-beginning-people-prayed-to-the-creatress-of-life-the-mistress/)

[Merlin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merlin-stone/)

> [You've reached your 60th birthday, Bill To the year, the day, the hour You've been a lifelong country boy Along with Lily, your flower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-walter-bratton/you-ve-reached-your-60th-birthday-bill-to-the-year-the-day-the-hour/)

[John Walter Bratton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-walter-bratton/)

> [J. Budziszewski is perhaps the clearest and most eloquent natural lawyer writing today. When reading his works I often find myself amazed by his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-j-beckwith/j-budziszewski-is-perhaps-the-clearest-and-most-eloquent-natural/)

[Francis J. Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-j-beckwith/)

[Browse all 1,500 Dawn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dawn/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Before dawn, the air smelled of lemons.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Luanne Rice"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dawn"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/luanne-rice-12229_dawn_before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons-16_1621606.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/luanne-rice-12229_dawn_before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons-16_1621606.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/luanne-rice-12229_dawn_before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons-16_1621606.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Before dawn, the air smelled of lemons.” — Luanne Rice",
                "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": "Luanne Rice",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luanne-rice/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Before dawn, the air smelled of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luanne-rice/before-dawn-the-air-smelled-of-lemons/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
