--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At first it was, as I have said, rather…" description: "\"“At first it was, as I have said, rather bracing and tonic. For after the dream there is not reason why you should not go back and face the fact which ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9c/robert-penn-warren-2118_dream_at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-br_2590361.jpg" --- # At first it was, as I have said, rather bracing and tonic… ![“At first it was, as I have said, rather bracing and tonic. For after the dream there is not reason why you should not go back and face the fact which you have fled from (even if the fact seems to be that you have, by digging up the truth about the past, handed over Anne Stanton to Willie Stark)…” quote by Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9c/robert-penn-warren-2118_dream_at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-br_2590361.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9c/robert-penn-warren-2118_dream_at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-br_2590361.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9c/robert-penn-warren-2118_dream_at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-br_2590361.jpg) > ““At first it was, as I have said, rather bracing and tonic. For after the dream there is not reason why you should not go back and face the fact which you have fled from (even if the fact seems to be that you have, by digging up the truth about the past, handed over Anne Stanton to Willie Stark), for any place to which you may flee will not be like the place from which you have fled, and you might as well go back, after all, to the place where you belong, for nothing was your fault or anybody's fault, for things are always as they are. And you can go back in good spirits, for you will have learned two very great truths. First, that you cannot lose what you have never had. Second, that you are never guilty of a crime which you did not commit. So there is innocence and a new start in the West after all. If you believe that dream you dream when you go there.”” [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. After fleeing, one must confront reality, learn truths, and return to rightful place, recognizing innocence and new beginnings. **In simple terms:** Face reality, learn, and return. Key Takeaway Accept truth and move forward. Themes redemption truth return Mood reflective hopeful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal crisis - legal battles - political turmoil - self‑discovery Key Concepts existentialism ethical choice Questions to Reflect On - What truth have you avoided? - How can you embrace a fresh start? A Different Perspective Returning may involve painful confrontation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) ## Related quotes > [Ive got no reason to sleep if you're not my dream, no reason to think if you're not in my mind, no reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoheb/ive-got-no-reason-to-sleep-if-you-re-not-my-dream-no-reason-to-think/) [Zoheb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoheb/) > [“Ah, but dreams cannot be captured with promises," he said. "Like water, they elude our grasp. But water is the staff of life. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/ah-but-dreams-cannot-be-captured-with-promises-he-said-like-water/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [“How do you wake up? It was one thing to know that you had been asleep all your life, but something else to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-carpenter/how-do-you-wake-up-it-was-one-thing-to-know-that-you-had-been-asleep/) [Don Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-carpenter/) > [The dream of reason produces monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-goya/the-dream-of-reason-produces-monsters/) [Francisco Goya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-goya/) > [And as well as I dream, I reason if I want, for that's just another kind of dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/and-as-well-as-i-dream-i-reason-if-i-want-for-that-s-just-another/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [You're an original, an individual a masterpiece. Don't let your uniqueness make you shy. Don't be someone other than wonder you all. Everyone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley/you-re-an-original-an-individual-a-masterpiece-don-t-let-your/) [Shirley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley/) > [Keep praying. Keep pushing. God gave you a dream for a reason: to make Him known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/keep-praying-keep-pushing-god-gave-you-a-dream-for-a-reason-to-make/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Take the time to believe in someone's dream. The words "You Can Do It" are very powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-the-time-to-believe-in-someone-s-dream-the-words-you-can-do-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nigerians must have the dream, believe the dream, live the dream and work to build the dream”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fela-durotoye/nigerians-must-have-the-dream-believe-the-dream-live-the-dream-and/) [Fela Durotoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fela-durotoye/) > [Believe in yourself and dream have faith that you don't even have time to waste or care for the opinion of meaningless people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/believe-in-yourself-and-dream-have-faith-that-you-don-t-even-have/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [When you believe in your dream and your vision, then it begins to attract its own resources. No one was born to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/when-you-believe-in-your-dream-and-your-vision-then-it-begins-to/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [If you believe in a dream and have the courage to try, anything is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hansen/if-you-believe-in-a-dream-and-have-the-courage-to-try-anything-is/) [Rick Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hansen/) > [But remember this: in the final analysis, you can believe in your dream, you can be taught, supported, motivated, and loved by others, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-schmidt/but-remember-this-in-the-final-analysis-you-can-believe-in-your-dream/) [Mike Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-schmidt/) > [“Do you still believe that I am only a dream?"-Alastor”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-michelle-burnett/do-you-still-believe-that-i-am-only-a-dream-alastor/) [Dana Michelle Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-michelle-burnett/) > [Future belongs those who believe in there own dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/future-belongs-those-who-believe-in-there-own-dream/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) ## More by Robert Penn Warren > [If you are an idealist, it does not matter what you do or what goes on around you because it isn't real anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/if-you-are-an-idealist-it-does-not-matter-what-you-do-or-what-goes-on/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [“The child comes home and the parent puts the hooks in him. The old man, or the woman, as the case may be, hasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/the-child-comes-home-and-the-parent-puts-the-hooks-in-him-the-old-man/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [The poem is a little myth of man's capacity of making life meaningful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/the-poem-is-a-little-myth-of-man-s-capacity-of-making-life-meaningful/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [“There is nothing more alone than being in a car at night in the rain. I was in the car. And I was glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/there-is-nothing-more-alone-than-being-in-a-car-at-night-in-the-rain/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [“No, the Boss corrected, I'm not a lawyer. I know some law. ... but I'm not a lawyer. That's why I can see what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/no-the-boss-corrected-i-m-not-a-lawyer-i-know-some-law-but-i-m-not-a/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [ \[A\]nd soon now we shall go out of the house and go into the convulsion of the world, out of history into history and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/a-nd-soon-now-we-shall-go-out-of-the-house-and-go-into-the-convulsion/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [“Those were the ones which would turn loose their grip on the branch before long-- not in any breeze, the fibers would just relax,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/those-were-the-ones-which-would-turn-loose-their-grip-on-the-branch/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [“Sometimes sleep gets to be a serious and complete thing. You stop going to sleep in order that you may be able to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/sometimes-sleep-gets-to-be-a-serious-and-complete-thing-you-stop/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [“He thought of night coming on. He thought of the loneliness of tonight, this first night in the ground. This, he thought, was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/he-thought-of-night-coming-on-he-thought-of-the-loneliness-of-tonight/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [I reckon I am a smart aleck, but it is just a way to pass the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/i-reckon-i-am-a-smart-aleck-but-it-is-just-a-way-to-pass-the-time/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [The poem is not a thing we see; it is, rather, a light by which we may see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/the-poem-is-not-a-thing-we-see-it-is-rather-a-light-by-which-we-may/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [The asking and the answering which history provides may help us to understand, even to frame, the logic of experience to which we shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/the-asking-and-the-answering-which-history-provides-may-help-us-to/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [Process as process is neither morally good nor morally bad. We may judge results but not process. The morally bad agent may perform the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/process-as-process-is-neither-morally-good-nor-morally-bad-we-may/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [The end of man is knowledge, but there is one thing he can't know. He can't know whether knowledge will save him or kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/the-end-of-man-is-knowledge-but-there-is-one-thing-he-can-t-know-he/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [For the truth is a terrible thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/for-the-truth-is-a-terrible-thing/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) [Explore all 184 Robert Penn Warren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) ## More Dream quotes > [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [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/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“At first it was, as I have said, rather bracing and tonic. For after the dream there is not reason why you should not go back and face the fact which you have fled from (even if the fact seems to be that you have, by digging up the truth about the past, handed over Anne Stanton to Willie Stark), for any place to which you may flee will not be like the place from which you have fled, and you might as well go back, after all, to the place where you belong, for nothing was your fault or anybody's fault, for things are always as they are. And you can go back in good spirits, for you will have learned two very great truths. First, that you cannot lose what you have never had. Second, that you are never guilty of a crime which you did not commit. So there is innocence and a new start in the West after all. If you believe that dream you dream when you go there.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Penn Warren" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-bracing-and-tonic-for-after-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-bracing-and-tonic-for-after-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9c/robert-penn-warren-2118_dream_at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-br_2590361.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9c/robert-penn-warren-2118_dream_at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-br_2590361.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9c/robert-penn-warren-2118_dream_at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-br_2590361.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At first it was, as I have said, rather bracing and tonic. For after the dream there is not reason why you…” — Robert Penn Warren", "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": "Robert Penn Warren", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“At first it was, as I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-bracing-and-tonic-for-after-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/at-first-it-was-as-i-have-said-rather-bracing-and-tonic-for-after-the/#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 } } ] } ```