---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time: old cold time, old sorrow, settling…"
description: "\"“Time: old cold time, old sorrow, settling down in layers like silt in a pond.”\" — Margaret Atwood"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/437/margaret-atwood-40_clock_time-old-cold-time-old-sorrow-settling-d_2414937.jpg"
---

#  Time: old cold time, old sorrow, settling down in layers…

![“Time: old cold time, old sorrow, settling down in layers like silt in a pond.” quote by Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/437/margaret-atwood-40_clock_time-old-cold-time-old-sorrow-settling-d_2414937.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/437/margaret-atwood-40_clock_time-old-cold-time-old-sorrow-settling-d_2414937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/437/margaret-atwood-40_clock_time-old-cold-time-old-sorrow-settling-d_2414937.jpg)

> ““Time: old cold time, old sorrow, settling down in layers like silt in a pond.””

[Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/)

## About This Quote

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

Time accumulates layers of sorrow and coldness, settling like sediment in a pond.

**In simple terms:** Time builds sorrow and cold layers over time.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how accumulated experiences shape emotions.

Themes

time memory emotion

Mood

reflective poetic

Type

literary emotional

When to use this quote

- grief processing
- long‑term relationships
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

psychology poetic metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

- How does time affect your emotional landscape?
- What layers of experience have settled in your life?

A Different Perspective

May oversimplify complex emotional processes.

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[Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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## More by Margaret Atwood

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