--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What would it be like to be a turtle…" description: "\"“What would it be like to be a turtle inside a shell hit by hailstones?”\" — Naomi Shihab Nye" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_turtle_what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-ins_1905505.png" --- # What would it be like to be a turtle inside a shell hit by… ![“What would it be like to be a turtle inside a shell hit by hailstones?” quote by Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_turtle_what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-ins_1905505.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_turtle_what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-ins_1905505.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_turtle_what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-ins_1905505.png) > ““What would it be like to be a turtle inside a shell hit by hailstones?”” [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imagines vulnerability of a turtle under sudden hardship, prompting empathy **In simple terms:** A turtle facing hail shows fragility and resilience Key Takeaway Consider how unexpected challenges test inner strength Themes vulnerability resilience nature metaphor Mood contemplative poignant Type literary metaphorical When to use this quote - personal crises - natural disasters - health scares - mental health Key Concepts existential fragility environmental adversity emotional coping Questions to Reflect On - What does the turtle symbolize for you? - How do you protect yourself from sudden blows? A Different Perspective Metaphor may oversimplify complex suffering ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hailstones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hailstones-2838361/) [Hit Hailstones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hit-hailstones-2838362/) [Like Turtle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-turtle-315289/) [Shell Hit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shell-hit-2838363/) [Turtle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtle/) [Turtle Inside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtle-inside-1377628/) ## Related quotes > [“A volley of hailstones began abruptly, filled the woods with a frenzied percussion & ended on the sudden.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/a-volley-of-hailstones-began-abruptly-filled-the-woods-with-a/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [“Without an apostrophe, she’ll is just a shell. And I am the turtle inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/without-an-apostrophe-she-ll-is-just-a-shell-and-i-am-the-turtle/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Try to be like the turtle - at ease in your own shell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/try-to-be-like-the-turtle-at-ease-in-your-own-shell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you want success in life, then just learn how to walk like a turtle instead of flying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/if-you-want-success-in-life-then-just-learn-how-to-walk-like-a-turtle/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Oh me oh my well well can't you tell. I'm just like a turtle crawling out of my shell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaggy/oh-me-oh-my-well-well-can-t-you-tell-i-m-just-like-a-turtle-crawling/) [Shaggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaggy/) > [Just like a turtle, we only make progress if we stick our neck out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryant-conant/just-like-a-turtle-we-only-make-progress-if-we-stick-our-neck-out/) [James Bryant Conant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryant-conant/) > [I got a few speeding tickets when I was young, but I'm a little more like the turtle than the hare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lloyd/i-got-a-few-speeding-tickets-when-i-was-young-but-i-m-a-little-more/) [Christopher Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lloyd/) > [Be like the turtle. If he didn't stick his neck out, he wouldn't get anywhere at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/be-like-the-turtle-if-he-didn-t-stick-his-neck-out-he-wouldn-t-get/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [“You have to be like a turtle, she thought; you have to figure out how to bring your home along with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-brashares/you-have-to-be-like-a-turtle-she-thought-you-have-to-figure-out-how/) [Ann Brashares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-brashares/) > [No matter if you walk like a turtle until you dont stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/no-matter-if-you-walk-like-a-turtle-until-you-dont-stop/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Life is like a turtle. You wont get get very far unless you stick out your neck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-like-a-turtle-you-wont-get-get-very-far-unless-you-stick-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“To kiss her there was to intrude into something private and skeletal, like a turtle’s shoulder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/to-kiss-her-there-was-to-intrude-into-something-private-and-skeletal/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“In the end, everyone looses everyone. There was no invention to get around that, and so I felt, that night, like the turtle that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/in-the-end-everyone-looses-everyone-there-was-no-invention-to-get/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“Take me like a turtle whose shell must be cracked, whose heart is ice, who needs your heat. Love me like a warrior, sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/take-me-like-a-turtle-whose-shell-must-be-cracked-whose-heart-is-ice/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [“Liv.” I looked at him. “Don’t hide,” North said. “I’m not.” “You remember I told you once you were like a turtle?” North asked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lane/liv-i-looked-at-him-don-t-hide-north-said-i-m-not-you-remember-i-told/) [Nina Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lane/) ## More by Naomi Shihab Nye > [“No test can measure anything important.   On”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/no-test-can-measure-anything-important-on/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [“But I know we need to keep warm here on earth And when your shawl is as thin as mine is, you tell stories.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/but-i-know-we-need-to-keep-warm-here-on-earth-and-when-your-shawl-is/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [I support all people on earth who have bodies like and unlike my body, skins and moles and old scars, secret and public hair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/i-support-all-people-on-earth-who-have-bodies-like-and-unlike-my-body/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [“We walked where the ancient pier juts into the sea. Stood on the rim of the pool, by the circle of black boulders. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/we-walked-where-the-ancient-pier-juts-into-the-sea-stood-on-the-rim/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [“rounded shoulders, the shoulders of women no one has touched for a long time. Men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/rounded-shoulders-the-shoulders-of-women-no-one-has-touched-for-a/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [I can never see fashion models, lean angular cheeks, strutting hips and blooming hair, without thinking of the skulls at the catacombs in Lima,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/i-can-never-see-fashion-models-lean-angular-cheeks-strutting-hips-and/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [I am looking for the human who admits his flaws Who shocks the adversary By being kinder not stronger What would that be like?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/i-am-looking-for-the-human-who-admits-his-flaws-who-shocks-the/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [“Remembering your mistakes more acutely than any minor success. This was the worst. The things that kept you up at night. Tip a waiter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/remembering-your-mistakes-more-acutely-than-any-minor-success-this/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [“Grief is an ambush. You’re walking along feeling fine, look down, see a leaf, and begin to weep. —Jack”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/grief-is-an-ambush-you-re-walking-along-feeling-fine-look-down-see-a/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [“Every day is a poetry day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/every-day-is-a-poetry-day/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [Teaching and writing are separate, but serve/feed one another in so many ways. Writing travels the road inward, teaching, the road out - helping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/teaching-and-writing-are-separate-but-serve-feed-one-another-in-so/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [What did exclusivity ever have to offer but a distorted, unrealistic view of the world? People who stuck only to their own kind were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/what-did-exclusivity-ever-have-to-offer-but-a-distorted-unrealistic/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [The thousands small birds of January in their smooth soaring cloud finding the trees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/the-thousands-small-birds-of-january-in-their-smooth-soaring-cloud/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [When allowed to return to the class, your feelings of humility and lonesomeness will render you a much finer student and person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/when-allowed-to-return-to-the-class-your-feelings-of-humility-and/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [You know, those of us who leave our homes in the morning and expect to find them there when we go back - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/you-know-those-of-us-who-leave-our-homes-in-the-morning-and-expect-to/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) [Explore all 115 Naomi Shihab Nye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) ## More Turtle quotes > [“I wonder about turtles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut-jr/i-wonder-about-turtles/) [Kurt Vonnegut Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut-jr/) > [Be like the turtle. If he didn't stick his neck out, he wouldn't get anywhere at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/be-like-the-turtle-if-he-didn-t-stick-his-neck-out-he-wouldn-t-get/) [Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/) > [Rabbits are played. Nowadays it's all about the turtles. Tell them it's a ninja, they'll freak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/rabbits-are-played-nowadays-it-s-all-about-the-turtles-tell-them-it-s/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [“Naturally I left the turtle on its back in the baking sun.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-brookes/naturally-i-left-the-turtle-on-its-back-in-the-baking-sun/) [Michael Brookes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-brookes/) > [“The Serpent raises its head from the water and slides onto the ice, the stars blazing above in the night sky. The Turtle sinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-chan/the-serpent-raises-its-head-from-the-water-and-slides-onto-the-ice/) [Kylie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-chan/) > [“See the TURTLE of enormous girth! On his shell he holds the earth. His thought is slow but always kind; He holds us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/see-the-turtle-of-enormous-girth-on-his-shell-he-holds-the-earth-his/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [It's okay to play turtle for a while, as long as you don't get too fond of your shell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-wilks/it-s-okay-to-play-turtle-for-a-while-as-long-as-you-don-t-get-too/) [Eileen Wilks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-wilks/) > [“Don't insult me. Everyone knows a turtle is a crustacean on its mother's side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/don-t-insult-me-everyone-knows-a-turtle-is-a-crustacean-on-its-mother/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [the body is simple as a turtle / and straight as a dog: / the body cannot lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marge-piercy/the-body-is-simple-as-a-turtle-and-straight-as-a-dog-the-body-cannot/) [Marge Piercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marge-piercy/) > [First of all, Turtle Island is the name of this continent we live on... that's right, not 'America... as in North America,' but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-densmore/first-of-all-turtle-island-is-the-name-of-this-continent-we-live-on/) [John Densmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-densmore/) > [No turtle can be a revolutionist, because revolution requires high speed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/no-turtle-can-be-a-revolutionist-because-revolution-requires-high/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“It's turtles all the way down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/it-s-turtles-all-the-way-down/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [Turtle backpack turtle spin. Turtle backpack turtle pushup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-marbles/turtle-backpack-turtle-spin-turtle-backpack-turtle-pushup/) [Jenna Marbles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-marbles/) > [“A lizard fucks a crab and nine months later a turtle pops out. It's called evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/a-lizard-fucks-a-crab-and-nine-months-later-a-turtle-pops-out-it-s/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [“A rat is more alive than a turtle. A turtle is slow, cold, mechanical, nearly a toy, a shell with legs. Their deaths didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/a-rat-is-more-alive-than-a-turtle-a-turtle-is-slow-cold-mechanical/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Browse all 177 Turtle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turtle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What would it be like to be a turtle inside a shell hit by hailstones?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Shihab Nye" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-inside-a-shell-hit-by-hailstones/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Turtle" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-inside-a-shell-hit-by-hailstones/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_turtle_what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-ins_1905505.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_turtle_what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-ins_1905505.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f6/naomi-shihab-nye-4185_turtle_what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-ins_1905505.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What would it be like to be a turtle inside a shell hit by hailstones?” — Naomi Shihab Nye", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Naomi Shihab Nye", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What would it be like to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-inside-a-shell-hit-by-hailstones/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/what-would-it-be-like-to-be-a-turtle-inside-a-shell-hit-by-hailstones/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```