--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man beholds the earth, and it is…" description: "\"Man beholds the earth, and it is breathing like a great lung; whenever it exhales, delightful life swarms from all its pores and reaches out toward the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/peter-wessel-zapffe-13517_breathing_man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathin_1713926.jpg" --- # Man beholds the earth, and it is breathing like a great… ![“Man beholds the earth, and it is breathing like a great lung; whenever it exhales, delightful life swarms from all its pores and reaches out toward the sun, but when it inhales, a moan of rupture passes through the multitude, and corpses whip the ground like bouts of hail.” quote by Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/peter-wessel-zapffe-13517_breathing_man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathin_1713926.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/peter-wessel-zapffe-13517_breathing_man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathin_1713926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/peter-wessel-zapffe-13517_breathing_man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathin_1713926.jpg) > “Man beholds the earth, and it is breathing like a great lung; whenever it exhales, delightful life swarms from all its pores and reaches out toward the sun, but when it inhales, a moan of rupture passes through the multitude, and corpses whip the ground like bouts of hail.” [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The earth breathes like a lung, giving life when exhaling and causing suffering when inhaling. **In simple terms:** Nature's cycles bring life and death. Key Takeaway Respect nature's rhythms. Themes nature life death environment Mood awe thoughtful Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - environmental activism - philosophical reflection - creative writing - education Key Concepts existentialism ecology Questions to Reflect On - How do you experience nature's cycles? - What responsibilities arise from this view? A Different Perspective It anthropomorphizes Earth, which may oversimplify complex processes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beholds Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beholds-earth-1272357/) [Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Earth Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth-breathing-607300/) [Hail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hail/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Man Beholds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-beholds-247351/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Multitudes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multitudes/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Reach out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-out/) [Rupture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rupture/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Sun Inhales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun-inhales-1272358/) ## Related quotes > [Every man beholds his human condition with a degree of melancholy. 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And every rupture begins, for those engaged in it, through a rupture with oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-badiou/all-resistance-is-a-rupture-with-what-is-and-every-rupture-begins-for/) [Alain Badiou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-badiou/) > [Awareness requires a rupture with the world we take for granted; then old categories of experience are called into question and revised.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shoshana-zuboff/awareness-requires-a-rupture-with-the-world-we-take-for-granted-then/) [Shoshana Zuboff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shoshana-zuboff/) > [Is there a wrong way to say "I don't know"? Yes. When we declare ignorance, it should be a) honest and b) in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-hager-cohen/is-there-a-wrong-way-to-say-i-don-t-know-yes-when-we-declare/) [Leah Hager Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-hager-cohen/) > [... in a history of spiritual rupture, a social compact built on fantasy and collective secrets, poetry becomes more necessary than ever: it keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/in-a-history-of-spiritual-rupture-a-social-compact-built-on-fantasy/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [But I believed in starting over. There was finally, I knew, only rupture and hurt and falling short between all persons, but, Shirley, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorrie-moore/but-i-believed-in-starting-over-there-was-finally-i-knew-only-rupture/) [Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/) ## More by Peter Wessel Zapffe > [“Og er ikke klippen sin tilbedelse værd? Prøver den ikke hjerte og nyrer før den gir plas for de utvalgte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/og-er-ikke-klippen-sin-tilbedelse-v-rd-pr-ver-den-ikke-hjerte-og/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [Each new generation asks – What is the meaning of life? 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His creative imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/but-as-he-stands-before-imminent-death-he-grasps-its-nature-also-and/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [“Her er rummelig og bredt, her slår vi oss ned i en grushaug og spiser mat og drikker saft og ligger på ryggen med…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/her-er-rummelig-og-bredt-her-sl-r-vi-oss-ned-i-en-grushaug-og-spiser/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [When a human being takes his life in depression, this is a natural death of spiritual causes. The modern barbarity of 'saving' the suicidal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/when-a-human-being-takes-his-life-in-depression-this-is-a-natural/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [We come from an inconceivable nothingness. We stay a while in something which seems equally inconceivable, only to vanish again into the inconceivable nothingness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/we-come-from-an-inconceivable-nothingness-we-stay-a-while-in/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [“Se i mig en 96 graders venn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/se-i-mig-en-96-graders-venn/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [“Life had overshot its target, blowing itself apart. A species had been armed too heavily – by spirit made almighty without, but equally a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/life-had-overshot-its-target-blowing-itself-apart-a-species-had-been/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [“Jeg ligger og kjender at jeg hader dette forbandede fjeld, fordi det har makt over mitt sind. Hvad vil du mig - at jeg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/jeg-ligger-og-kjender-at-jeg-hader-dette-forbandede-fjeld-fordi-det/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [To bear children into this world is like carrying wood to a burning house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/to-bear-children-into-this-world-is-like-carrying-wood-to-a-burning/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [“Aftenen endte med idyll. Håkon kaldte mig genial, og jeg svarte at han var en stor menneskekjender.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/aftenen-endte-med-idyll-h-kon-kaldte-mig-genial-og-jeg-svarte-at-han/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [Why does man need a meaning to life?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/why-does-man-need-a-meaning-to-life/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [“Vi samles på Fortroppens hjørne mot vest og ser over mot tinden. Fra blokken vi står på har Pan eller Jordånden eller Djævelen selv…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/vi-samles-p-fortroppens-hj-rne-mot-vest-og-ser-over-mot-tinden-fra/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) [Explore all 45 Peter Wessel Zapffe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) ## More Breathing quotes > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [“As long as we’re breathing, we have a chance to start over and build a stable future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ha-campbell/as-long-as-we-re-breathing-we-have-a-chance-to-start-over-and-build-a/) [Kim Ha Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ha-campbell/) > [People don't think much about breathing. Of all the things we take for granted, breathing has to be number one - even though it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/people-don-t-think-much-about-breathing-of-all-the-things-we-take-for/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [I wish," Jared began, and stopped, breathing in. "Do you remember how you used to believe I wasn't real? Sometimes I wish that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/i-wish-jared-began-and-stopped-breathing-in-do-you-remember-how-you/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [The still affection of the heart Became an outward breathing type, That into stillness past again, And left a want unknown before; Although the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-still-affection-of-the-heart-became-an-outward-breathing-type/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [Breathing is give(carbon dioxide) and take(oxygen), such is life, find balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-williams/breathing-is-give-carbon-dioxide-and-take-oxygen-such-is-life-find/) [Marcel Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-williams/) > [I'll probably be writing as long as I'm breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/i-ll-probably-be-writing-as-long-as-i-m-breathing/) [Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/) > [For me writing is like breathing. I could not live without breathing and I could not live without writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/for-me-writing-is-like-breathing-i-could-not-live-without-breathing/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [I’m in, Cat. I’d never leave you. Especially when you’ve got death breathing down your neck.” “Very funny,” I retorted, since Bones was inches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-in-cat-i-d-never-leave-you-especially-when-you-ve-got-death/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [He’d moved toward me again. His hands released mine and moved to my waist, and I noticed I wasn’t the only one breathing heavily.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/he-d-moved-toward-me-again-his-hands-released-mine-and-moved-to-my/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [My worry is that opera will become an historic art form as opposed to a living, breathing thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-fleming/my-worry-is-that-opera-will-become-an-historic-art-form-as-opposed-to/) [Renee Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-fleming/) > [I'm really fascinated and you know I've been wondering about that usage of language, various breathing techniques and why in these practices language is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/i-m-really-fascinated-and-you-know-i-ve-been-wondering-about-that/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [I’m exactly right for you, Bella. It would have been effortless for us — comfortable, easy as breathing. I was the natural path your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-m-exactly-right-for-you-bella-it-would-have-been-effortless-for-us/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) [Browse all 1,666 Breathing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man beholds the earth, and it is breathing like a great lung; whenever it exhales, delightful life swarms from all its pores and reaches out toward the sun, but when it inhales, a moan of rupture passes through the multitude, and corpses whip the ground like bouts of hail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Wessel Zapffe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathing-like-a-great-lung-whenever/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Breathing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathing-like-a-great-lung-whenever/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/peter-wessel-zapffe-13517_breathing_man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathin_1713926.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/peter-wessel-zapffe-13517_breathing_man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathin_1713926.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/09c/peter-wessel-zapffe-13517_breathing_man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathin_1713926.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man beholds the earth, and it is breathing like a great lung; whenever it exhales, delightful life swarms…” — Peter Wessel Zapffe", "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": "Peter Wessel Zapffe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man beholds the earth, and it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathing-like-a-great-lung-whenever/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/man-beholds-the-earth-and-it-is-breathing-like-a-great-lung-whenever/#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 } } ] } ```