--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagination is haunted by the swiftness…" description: "\"“Imagination is haunted by the swiftness of the creatures that live on the mountain - eagle and peregrine falcon, red deer and mountain hare. The reaso..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/nan-shepherd-44767_animals_imagination-is-haunted-by-the-swiftness_2639503.jpg" --- # Imagination is haunted by the swiftness of the creatures… ![“Imagination is haunted by the swiftness of the creatures that live on the mountain - eagle and peregrine falcon, red deer and mountain hare. The reason for their swiftness is severely practical: food is so scarce up there that only those who can move swiftly over vast stretches of ground may hope…” quote by Nan Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/nan-shepherd-44767_animals_imagination-is-haunted-by-the-swiftness_2639503.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/nan-shepherd-44767_animals_imagination-is-haunted-by-the-swiftness_2639503.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48d/nan-shepherd-44767_animals_imagination-is-haunted-by-the-swiftness_2639503.jpg) > ““Imagination is haunted by the swiftness of the creatures that live on the mountain - eagle and peregrine falcon, red deer and mountain hare. The reason for their swiftness is severely practical: food is so scarce up there that only those who can move swiftly over vast stretches of ground may hope to survive. The speed, the whorls and torrents of movement, are in plain fact the mountain's own necessity. But their grace is not necessity. Or if it is - if the swoop, the parabola, the arrow-flight of hooves and wings achieve their beauty by strict adherence to the needs of function - so much the more is the mountain's integrity vindicated. Beauty is not adventitious but essential.”” [Nan Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-shepherd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mountain creatures move quickly out of necessity, yet their grace transcends mere function, showing beauty can be essential. **In simple terms:** Animals run fast to survive; their beauty is also essential. Key Takeaway Recognize that function and beauty can coexist. Themes nature survival beauty Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - wildlife observation - environmental design - personal growth - creative work Key Concepts adaptation aesthetics essentialism Questions to Reflect On - What makes beauty essential? - Can function and elegance coexist in human design? A Different Perspective Beauty may be subjective and not always essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature of Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-beauty/) [Necessity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessity/) [Wildlife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wildlife/) ## Related quotes > [One had a lovely face, And two or three had charm, But charm and face were in vain. Because the mountain grass Cannot keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/one-had-a-lovely-face-and-two-or-three-had-charm-but-charm-and-face-2/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [“One had a lovely face, And two or three had charm, But charm and face were in vain Because the mountain grass Cannot but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/one-had-a-lovely-face-and-two-or-three-had-charm-but-charm-and-face/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [FALLING STARS: Do you remember still the falling stars that like swift horses through the heavens raced and suddenly leaped across the hurdles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/falling-stars-do-you-remember-still-the-falling-stars-that-like-swift/) [Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/) > [Character builds slowly, but it can be torn down within incredible swiftness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-baldwin/character-builds-slowly-but-it-can-be-torn-down-within-incredible/) [Faith Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-baldwin/) > [Swift as the wind. Quiet as the forest. Conquer like the fire. Steady as the mountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/swift-as-the-wind-quiet-as-the-forest-conquer-like-the-fire-steady-as/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [“How well you run determines whether or not you will win or lose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/how-well-you-run-determines-whether-or-not-you-will-win-or-lose/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [If life is a battle, then my inner scars are medals for valor, for swiftness, for courage, for passion. Evil is the dark-haired brother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-constantine/if-life-is-a-battle-then-my-inner-scars-are-medals-for-valor-for/) [Storm Constantine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-constantine/) > [O. J. has an uncanny instinct for sensing when to make the move, when to makethe cut. 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Its swiftness or instantaneity can hide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/in-our-view-any-awareness-is-an-increment-to-consciousness-an-added/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-must-be-while-we-defend-our-lives-against-a-destroyer-who-would/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Time is the mercy of Eternity; without Time's swiftness Which is the swiftest of all things, all were eternal torment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/time-is-the-mercy-of-eternity-without-time-s-swiftness-which-is-the/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) ## More by Nan Shepherd > [“But at the end of February, out of a cold black north a dozen meandering snowflakes fell. 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I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Imagination is haunted by the swiftness of the creatures that live on the mountain - eagle and peregrine falcon, red deer and mountain hare. The reason for their swiftness is severely practical: food is so scarce up there that only those who can move swiftly over vast stretches of ground may hope to survive. The speed, the whorls and torrents of movement, are in plain fact the mountain's own necessity. But their grace is not necessity. 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