Children Quote by Marilynne Robinson
““And she would feel that sharp loneliness she had felt every long evening since she was a child. It was the kind of loneliness that made clocks seem slow and loud and made voices sound like voices across water. Old women she had known, first her grandmother and then her mother, rocked on their porches in the evenings and sang sad songs, and did not wish to be spoken to.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Housekeeping, 1980
Loneliness can feel oppressive, making time drag and voices distant, reflecting deep emotional isolation.
In simple terms: Loneliness makes time slow and voices distant.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge and address deep loneliness.
Themes
loneliness
time perception
emotional isolation
Mood
melancholic
introspective
Type
literary
emotional
When to use this quote
- elder care
- mental health counseling
- creative writing
- support groups
Key Concepts
existential solitude
psychology of grief
narrative voice
Questions to Reflect On
- What coping mechanisms help ease profound loneliness?
- How does community support alter this feeling?
A Different Perspective
Loneliness may be intensified by aging and loss.
![“[she felt] sorry for herself, for getting older, for being mortal, for all the music she still wanted to hear, the books she intended to read, the places she had meant to visit, the things she had promised herself she'd learn one day [...] and probably never would because time was beginning to…” quote by Francesca Marciano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9c9/francesca-marciano-19543_fitness_she-felt-sorry-for-herself-for-getting-o_1468538.jpg)
