Feeling Quote by Margaret Atwood
““While he writes, I feel as if he is drawing me; or not drawing me, drawing on me--drawing on my skin--not with the pencil he is using, but with an old-fashioned goose pen, and not with the quill end but with the feather end. As if hundreds of butterflies have settled all over my face, and are softly opening and closing their wings. But underneath that is another feeling, a feeling of being wide-eyed awake and watchful. It's like being wakened suddenly in the middle of the night, by a hand over your face, and you sit up with your heart going fast, and no one is there. And underneath that is another feeling still, a feeling like being torn open; not like a body of flesh, it is not painful as such, but like a peach; and not even torn open, but ripe and splitting open of its own accord. And inside the peach there's a stone.””
About This Quote
The writer's act is described as an intimate, almost physical imprint on the reader, evoking sensations of being drawn, observed, and transformed, culminating in a revelation that contains both beauty and a hidden core.
In simple terms: Writing as a visceral, transformative encounter.
Key Takeaway
Reading can feel like being physically marked and emotionally opened.
Themes
creativity
sensory perception
transformation
vulnerability
intimacy
Mood
wonder
introspection
awe
Type
metaphorical
reflective
poetic
When to use this quote
- reading a novel
- listening to a poem
- experiencing art
- reflecting on personal growth
Key Concepts
author-reader relationship
embodied metaphor
inner revelation
Practical Applications
- creative writing workshops
- literary analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- How does a text leave a lasting imprint on you?
- What hidden 'stones' have you discovered in stories?
