--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It had been a windy night, that night…" description: "\"“It had been a windy night, that night where his life had taken its turning. The atmosphere, in flood, was trying to wash the trees right off the hills..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/michael-shea-111462_life_it-had-been-a-windy-night-that-night-whe_821568.jpg" --- # It had been a windy night, that night where his life had… ![“It had been a windy night, that night where his life had taken its turning. The atmosphere, in flood, was trying to wash the trees right off the hills. The big oaks twisted and shuddered like black flames in the moonlight, and the white grass rippled and bannered. The wind that night made him feel…” quote by Michael Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/michael-shea-111462_life_it-had-been-a-windy-night-that-night-whe_821568.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/michael-shea-111462_life_it-had-been-a-windy-night-that-night-whe_821568.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/091/michael-shea-111462_life_it-had-been-a-windy-night-that-night-whe_821568.jpg) > ““It had been a windy night, that night where his life had taken its turning. The atmosphere, in flood, was trying to wash the trees right off the hills. The big oaks twisted and shuddered like black flames in the moonlight, and the white grass rippled and bannered. The wind that night made him feel his chronic longing. The wind, trying to stampede the trees, was roaring for a grand, universal departure to another solar system, a better deal, and the grass struggled to join the rootless giant of the air. All that lives strives to fly, to master time. All tribes of beings strain to rise in insurrection, all knowing their time is short, all, when the wind blows, wanting to climb aboard. ("The Growlimb")”” [Michael Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shea/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A storm mirrors inner turmoil, urging escape from constraints toward transcendence. **In simple terms:** Wind reflects longing for change. Key Takeaway Seek transformation beyond limits. Themes nature longing transcendence storm metaphor Mood poetic melancholic Type Flower:0 Life:0 Solar system:0 Trees:0 Wind:1 Time Is Short:0 Wind Blows:0 Longing Wind:0 Wind Night:0 Windy Night:0 Bannered Wind:0 When to use this quote - personal crisis - creative writing - spiritual seeking - environmental observation Key Concepts existentialism symbolism psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does the wind symbolize for you? - How do you respond to inner unrest? A Different Perspective Interpretation may be highly subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bannered Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bannered-wind-477813/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Longing Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing-wind-477810/) [Solar system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solar-system/) [Time Is Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-is-short/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) [Wind Blows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind-blows/) [Wind Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind-night-477811/) [Windy Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/windy-night-477812/) ## Related quotes > [There's nothing like stories on a windy night when folks have found a warm place in a cold world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/there-s-nothing-like-stories-on-a-windy-night-when-folks-have-found-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“It was another dark and windy night. Like so many others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-was-another-dark-and-windy-night-like-so-many-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“you know the way of the wind in the night—the desolate alleys my soul takes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-j-geddes/you-know-the-way-of-the-wind-in-the-night-the-desolate-alleys-my-soul/) [john j geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-j-geddes/) > [“Wind of the night, Questing, swaying, calling, Rustle of dull grasses, Why do you trouble me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gould-fletcher/wind-of-the-night-questing-swaying-calling-rustle-of-dull-grasses-why/) [John Gould Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gould-fletcher/) > [“By day the hot sun fermented us; and we were dizzied by the beating wind. At night we were stained by dew, and shamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-e-lawrence-2/by-day-the-hot-sun-fermented-us-and-we-were-dizzied-by-the-beating/) [T.E. 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Anyone could see that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-wind-outside-nested-in-each-tree-prowled-the-sidewalks-in/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Since you are my readers, and I have not been much of a traveler, I will not talk about people a thousand miles off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/since-you-are-my-readers-and-i-have-not-been-much-of-a-traveler-i/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Time is shortening. But every day that I challenge this cancer and survive is a victory for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-bergman/time-is-shortening-but-every-day-that-i-challenge-this-cancer-and/) [Ingrid Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-bergman/) > [Work is hard. Distractions are plentiful. And time is short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/work-is-hard-distractions-are-plentiful-and-time-is-short/) [Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/) > [Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a man, a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/nothing-living-should-ever-be-treated-with-contempt-whatever-it-is/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [“In essence, what is forbidden to do is likewise forbidden as an object of reflection. Included in this is thinking about the weaknesses or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamza-yusuf/in-essence-what-is-forbidden-to-do-is-likewise-forbidden-as-an-object/) [Hamza Yusuf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamza-yusuf/) > [Life and death matters, yes. And the question of how to behave in this world, how to go in the face of everything. Time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/life-and-death-matters-yes-and-the-question-of-how-to-behave-in-this/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [Our lifetime is short and limited, but the ideas, actions and thoughts we produce can easily remain unlimited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-rowe/our-lifetime-is-short-and-limited-but-the-ideas-actions-and-thoughts/) [Rashida Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-rowe/) > [I've always had a clear sense that time is short and we need to live as fully as we can in every moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/i-ve-always-had-a-clear-sense-that-time-is-short-and-we-need-to-live/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) ## More by Michael Shea > [“Up before sunrise. Marjorie hated getting out of bed in the dark, but loved the payoff once she was dressed and rolling down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shea/up-before-sunrise-marjorie-hated-getting-out-of-bed-in-the-dark-but/) [Michael Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shea/) [Explore all 2 Michael Shea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shea/) ## More Flower quotes > [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/) [Craig D. 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