Children Quote by Rainer Maria Rilke
““It would be good to give much thought, before you try to find words for something so lost, for those long childhood afternoons you knew that vanished so completely -and why? We're still reminded-: sometimes by a rain, but we can no longer say what it means; life was never again so filled with meeting, with reunion and with passing on as back then, when nothing happened to us except what happens to things and creatures: we lived their world as something human, and became filled to the brim with figures. And became as lonely as a shepherd and as overburdened by vast distances, and summoned and stirred as from far away, and slowly, like a long new thread, introduced into that picture-sequence where now having to go on bewilders us.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Unpublished verses, early 20th century
Nostalgia for lost innocence creates a longing that feels both distant and intimate.
In simple terms: Missing childhood feels distant and intimate.
Key Takeaway
Reflect on what you’ve lost and cherish present moments.
Themes
nostalgia
loss
memory
loneliness
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- creative writing
- grief counseling
Key Concepts
existentialism
poetic longing
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the past teach you?
- How can you honor loss while living now?
A Different Perspective
Idealizing the past may hinder present growth.
