Ifs Quote by Robertson Davies
“It seemed to me as if the stones sang, in the strangest voices, in the language of Ultima Thule.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Fifth Business, Robertson Davies, 1970
The narrator perceives the stones as singing in an alien, ancient language, suggesting a mystical connection to the past.
In simple terms: Stones seem to sing in a strange, ancient language.
Key Takeaway
Listen for hidden meanings in ordinary things.
Themes
mysticism
perception
history
language
nature
Mood
poetic
curious
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- travel writing
- creative writing
- education
- museum curation
- environmental design
Key Concepts
literary symbolism
mythology
phenomenology
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the stone’s song symbolize for you?
- How can we hear history in everyday objects?
A Different Perspective
Interpretation may be subjective, risking misreading.
![“Thou beginnest better than thou endest. The last is inferior to the first. [Lat., Coepisti melius quam desinis. Ultima primis cedunt.]” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bf3/ovid-276_firsts_thou-beginnest-better-than-thou-endest-t_2935400.jpg)
![“I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her [Ultima] I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things.” quote by Rudolfo Anaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/db5/rudolfo-anaya-23174_awful_i-had-been-afraid-of-the-awful-presence_1791874.jpg)
![“Man should ever look to his last day, and no one should be called happy before his funeral. [Lat., Ultima semper Expectanda dies homini est, dicique beatus Ante obitum nemo et suprema funera debet.]” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6d5/ovid-276_death_man-should-ever-look-to-his-last-day-and_1443423.jpg)
