Chopin Quote by Marcel Proust
““She had been taught in her girlhood to fondle and cherish those long-necked, sinuous creatures, the phrases of Chopin, so free, so flexible, so tactile, which begin by seeking their ultimate resting-place somewhere beyond and far wide of the direction in which they started, the point which one might have expected them to reach, phrases which divert themselves in those fantastic bypaths only to return more deliberately—with a more premediated reaction, with more precision, as on a crystal bowl which, if you strike it, will ring and throb until you cry aloud in anguish—to clutch at one’s heart.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust, 1913
The passage describes how delicate, musical phrases wander and return with greater intention and emotional impact.
In simple terms: Music-like phrases wander, return, and intensify feeling.
Key Takeaway
Embrace wandering ideas that deepen over time.
Themes
art
creativity
emotion
Mood
reflective
poetic
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- writing
- composing
- teaching
- public speaking
Key Concepts
literature
musical metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- How does wandering enhance artistic expression?
- When might clarity be preferable?
A Different Perspective
Overly ornate language may obscure clarity.
![“For her [Françoise], wealth was like a necessary condition without which virtue would lack both merit and charm. She made so little distinction between the two that she came to see their qualities as interchangeable, expecting material comfort from virtue and moral edification from wealth.” quote by Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/573/marcel-proust-114_character_for-her-fran-oise-wealth-was-like-a-nece_2687.jpg)
