Skip to content

Age Quote by Robert Penn Warren

“For West is where we all plan to go some day. It is where you go when the land gives out and the old-field pines encroach. It is where you go when you get the letter saying: Flee, all is discovered. It is where you go when you look down at the blade in your hand and the blood on it. It is where…” quote by Robert Penn Warren
Download Open image
“For West is where we all plan to go some day. It is where you go when the land gives out and the old-field pines encroach. It is where you go when you get the letter saying: Flee, all is discovered. It is where you go when you look down at the blade in your hand and the blood on it. It is where you go when you are told that you are a bubble on the tide of empire. It is where you go when you hear that thar's gold in them-thar hills. It is where you go to grow up with the country. It is where you go to spend your old age. Or it is just where you go.”

Robert Penn Warren

About This Quote

Source Poem: “West” from The Collected Poems, 1971

The passage portrays “West” as a symbolic destination for escape, growth, and destiny, reflecting both hope and inevitability.

In simple terms: West represents a place of future plans, escape, and life stages.

Key Takeaway

Recognize what “West” means to you.

Themes

escape destiny growth place future

Mood

nostalgic contemplative

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • migration
  • career change
  • retirement planning
  • personal reflection

Key Concepts

symbolism existentialism American myth

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does “West” symbolize in your life?
  • Are you chasing an ideal or reality?
A Different Perspective

It can romanticize migration without addressing hardships.

3.6 out of 5 (5 ratings)

More by Robert Penn Warren

Explore all 184 Robert Penn Warren quotes

More Age quotes

Browse all 18,948 Age quotes