---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rose once told me about this poem she’d…"
description: "\"Rose once told me about this poem she’d read. There was this line, ‘If your eyes weren’t open, you wouldn’t know the difference between dreaming and wa..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/richelle-mead-46_differences_rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d_2630815.jpg"
---

#  Rose once told me about this poem she’d read. There was…

![“Rose once told me about this poem she’d read. There was this line, ‘If your eyes weren’t open, you wouldn’t know the difference between dreaming and waking.’ You know what I’m afraid of? That someday, even with my eyes open, I still won’t know.” quote by Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/richelle-mead-46_differences_rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d_2630815.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/richelle-mead-46_differences_rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d_2630815.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/richelle-mead-46_differences_rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d_2630815.jpg)

> “Rose once told me about this poem she’d read. There was this line, ‘If your eyes weren’t open, you wouldn’t know the difference between dreaming and waking.’ You know what I’m afraid of? That someday, even with my eyes open, I still won’t know.”

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A poem line about open eyes and dreaming versus waking sparks fear of never truly understanding reality.

**In simple terms:** Fear of never distinguishing dream from reality.

Key Takeaway

Seek clarity and self‑awareness.

Themes

philosophy fear perception poetry

Mood

introspective anxious

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- personal reflection
- creative writing
- mental health discussions

Key Concepts

existential doubt reality questioning

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “open eyes” mean to you?
- How can you ground yourself in reality?

A Different Perspective

The line may cause over‑analysis and anxiety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rose/)

## Related quotes

> [ONCE WHEN I WAS ninth grade i had to write a paper on a poem. One of the lines was"If your eyes weren't open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/once-when-i-was-ninth-grade-i-had-to-write-a-paper-on-a-poem-one-of/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“…what I told them was 'a poem,' a thing made by a maker, a work of art, part history of long ago, part invention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/what-i-told-them-was-a-poem-a-thing-made-by-a-maker-a-work-of-art/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [If your eyes weren't open, you wouldn't know the difference between dreaming and waking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/if-your-eyes-weren-t-open-you-wouldn-t-know-the-difference-between/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Rose once told me "If your eyes weren't open, you wouldn't know the difference between dreaming and waking." Adrian Ivashkov to Sydney Sage”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/rose-once-told-me-if-your-eyes-weren-t-open-you-wouldn-t-know-the/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“courage is the difference between dreaming of the life you want and living the life of your dreams,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gordon/courage-is-the-difference-between-dreaming-of-the-life-you-want-and/)

[Jon Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gordon/)

> [Dreams and waking life are both the same kinds of things. The difference is that dreaming is perceiving free of external constraints, whereas perceiving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-laberge/dreams-and-waking-life-are-both-the-same-kinds-of-things-the/)

[Stephen LaBerge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-laberge/)

> [There's a difference between dreaming and doing. The dreamers just sit around and moon about how wonderful it would be if only things were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/may-robson/there-s-a-difference-between-dreaming-and-doing-the-dreamers-just-sit/)

May Robson

> [Commitment is a line you must cross. . . . it is the difference between dreaming and doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-fuchs/commitment-is-a-line-you-must-cross-it-is-the-difference-between/)

Bernie Fuchs

> [“What I saw there explained everything--the reason he had stayed away, why he had come to say good-bye. I can only describe what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nafisa-haji/what-i-saw-there-explained-everything-the-reason-he-had-stayed-away/)

[Nafisa Haji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nafisa-haji/)

> [“Will I be less dead because I wrote this poem or you more because you read it long years hence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/will-i-be-less-dead-because-i-wrote-this-poem-or-you-more-because-you/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [ \[In response to Alfred Tennyson's poem "Vision of Sin," which included the line "Every moment dies a man, every moment one is born."\] If… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-babbage/in-response-to-alfred-tennyson-s-poem-vision-of-sin-which-included/)

[Charles Babbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-babbage/)

> [“Still perfect,” he said. “Read to me.” “This isn’t really a poem to read aloud when you are sitting next to your sleeping mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/still-perfect-he-said-read-to-me-this-isn-t-really-a-poem-to-read-2/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [People need what they think of as a poem to be read at their bar mitzvah, their wedding, a funeral, whatever. And people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-larkin/people-need-what-they-think-of-as-a-poem-to-be-read-at-their-bar/)

[Joan Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-larkin/)

> [“Still perfect,” he said. “Read to me.” “This isn’t really a poem to read aloud when you are sitting next to your sleeping mother.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/still-perfect-he-said-read-to-me-this-isn-t-really-a-poem-to-read/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [“I don’t know why I’ve always been like this, why the smallest things make me ache inside. There’s a poem I read once, titled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-l-s-nchez/i-don-t-know-why-i-ve-always-been-like-this-why-the-smallest-things/)

[Erika L. Sánchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-l-s-nchez/)

## More by Richelle Mead

> [“Jerome shrugged. “We’re back to the part where I don’t give a fuck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/jerome-shrugged-we-re-back-to-the-part-where-i-don-t-give-a-fuck/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [His fingertips slid down from my face, lightly stroking the line of my neck, down toward my shoulder. Everywhere he touched, a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/his-fingertips-slid-down-from-my-face-lightly-stroking-the-line-of-my/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“A piece of heaven?" I managed to ask. He slowly shook his head. "No. The other place. The one I'm going to burn in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/a-piece-of-heaven-i-managed-to-ask-he-slowly-shook-his-head-no-the/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [When I talked to him earlier, he said he had to work tonight,” Peter explained, “but that we should go ahead and draw for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/when-i-talked-to-him-earlier-he-said-he-had-to-work-tonight-peter/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [It was a nephilim.” “A nephi-what?” asked Hugh, startled. “Isn’t that a character on Sesame Street?” Peter spoke up for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-was-a-nephilim-a-nephi-what-asked-hugh-startled-isn-t-that-a/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Life and death were so unpredictable. So close to each other. We existed moment to moment, never knowing who would be the next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-and-death-were-so-unpredictable-so-close-to-each-other-we/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“I watched, enthralled, as he painted a large silver heart with flames edging one side. The whole design was Celtic in style. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-watched-enthralled-as-he-painted-a-large-silver-heart-with-flames/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“I loved Aeson. You have no idea what love is.” “Oh, I do. I know that it’s the best high and the worst hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/i-loved-aeson-you-have-no-idea-what-love-is-oh-i-do-i-know-that-it-s/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Why would you do that? Why would you act like you didn't know how to drive?" "Isn't it obvious, Sage? No, of course it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/why-would-you-do-that-why-would-you-act-like-you-didn-t-know-how-to/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Everything I’d fought for, every challenge, every victory … all of it was empty if anything happened to him. Without him, I wouldn’t have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/everything-i-d-fought-for-every-challenge-every-victory-all-of-it-was/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Is it true? You had a clean getaway and risked it all for me?" I Swallowed. "It wouldn't have been a clean getaway without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/is-it-true-you-had-a-clean-getaway-and-risked-it-all-for-me-i/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, "Mmm. O positive, my favorite." Keith sprayed out the wine he'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/keith-was-just-bringing-the-glass-to-his-lips-when-adrian-said-mmm-o/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Life’s like that. As we grow and change, some things we’ve experienced before take on new meaning. It’ll happen for the rest of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/life-s-like-that-as-we-grow-and-change-some-things-we-ve-experienced/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [Hey Sydney," she said, giving me a small, crooked smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes were friendly, but they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/hey-sydney-she-said-giving-me-a-small-crooked-smile-as-she-entered/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [“Sydney Katherine Sage,” he said, his green eyes full of love and earnestness. “Would you do a brooding, deadbeat Moroi the honor of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/sydney-katherine-sage-he-said-his-green-eyes-full-of-love-and/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

[Explore all 2,001 Richelle Mead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

## More Differences quotes

> [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/)

[David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/)

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/)

Jennifer Siebel Newsom

> [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/)

[M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Shortly after I turned 50, both Ted Turner and the AARP came into my life. The only difference? With AARP, there were benefits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/shortly-after-i-turned-50-both-ted-turner-and-the-aarp-came-into-my/)

[Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [There are those who open their hearts to others...who never think twice about giving of themselves. They are the wonderful warmhearted people who make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilda-radner/there-are-those-who-open-their-hearts-to-others-who-never-think-twice/)

[Gilda Radner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilda-radner/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [One of the most basic principles for making and keeping peace within and between nations. . . is that in political, military, moral, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/one-of-the-most-basic-principles-for-making-and-keeping-peace-within/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [When the President starts talking about something, it makes a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/when-the-president-starts-talking-about-something-it-makes-a/)

[Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/)

> [In a world shaped and colored more and more by politicians, the nations meet politically, and hardly any other way to settle their differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-priestley/in-a-world-shaped-and-colored-more-and-more-by-politicians-the/)

[J. B. Priestley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-priestley/)

[Browse all 8,110 Differences quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Rose once told me about this poem she’d read. There was this line, ‘If your eyes weren’t open, you wouldn’t know the difference between dreaming and waking.’ You know what I’m afraid of? That someday, even with my eyes open, I still won’t know.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richelle Mead"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d-read-there-was-this-line-if/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Differences"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d-read-there-was-this-line-if/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/richelle-mead-46_differences_rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d_2630815.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/richelle-mead-46_differences_rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d_2630815.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13b/richelle-mead-46_differences_rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d_2630815.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Rose once told me about this poem she’d read. There was this line, ‘If your eyes weren’t open, you wouldn’t…” — Richelle Mead",
                "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": "Richelle Mead",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Rose once told me about this...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d-read-there-was-this-line-if/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/rose-once-told-me-about-this-poem-she-d-read-there-was-this-line-if/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
