Fire Quote by Lucie Brock-Broido
““From 'Periodic Table of Elements': A girl ago, a girlhood gone like a phial of ether | Thrown on fire--just | A little jump of flame, like grief, or | Like a penicillin that has lost its skill at killing | Off, it then is gone.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “Periodic Table of Elements”, 1995, Book: The Book of Forms
The poem uses chemical imagery to depict a girl’s fleeting youth and loss, likening it to volatile reactions.
In simple terms: She compares a girl’s lost youth to a chemical reaction.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the fragility of youth and the power of transformation.
Themes
loss
transformation
memory
Mood
melancholic
reflective
poetic
Type
literary
emotional
When to use this quote
- coming of age
- grief
- self‑reflection
- creative writing
Key Concepts
chemical metaphor
poetic imagery
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the chemical language affect emotional impact?
- What does the “penicillin” represent?
A Different Perspective
Metaphor may obscure literal meaning for some readers.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
