--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As well to clutch at the moon’s…" description: "\"“As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still midnight pond as to seek a grip on that bright mind.”\" — Robin Hobb" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/robin-hobb-489_midnight_as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflecti_617749.jpg" --- # As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still… ![“As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still midnight pond as to seek a grip on that bright mind.” quote by Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/robin-hobb-489_midnight_as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflecti_617749.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/robin-hobb-489_midnight_as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflecti_617749.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/robin-hobb-489_midnight_as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflecti_617749.jpg) > ““As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still midnight pond as to seek a grip on that bright mind.”” [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing the moon’s reflection is like trying to grasp an idea that is only visible, not tangible. **In simple terms:** Chasing an intangible idea is futile. Key Takeaway Focus on what you can grasp. Themes illusion perception knowledge Mood contemplative inspired Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - dreaming - creative thinking - meditation - artistic inspiration Key Concepts philosophy epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish between reflection and reality? - What can you do with a bright mind you cannot hold? A Different Perspective Ideas that are only reflections cannot be directly used. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clutch Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clutch-moon-5003867/) [Midnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midnight/) [Midnight Pond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midnight-pond-5003866/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Moon Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon-reflection-2185151/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Reflection Midnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection-midnight-5003865/) ## Related quotes > [“There is an old Zen saying about seeing the moon's reflection in a pond. If the surface of the pond is agitated and full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-adamson/there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a/) [Eve Adamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-adamson/) > [“He loves being the only one walking through the night. 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Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“So seemed it to me, as I stood at her helm, and for long hours silently guided the way of this fire-ship on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/so-seemed-it-to-me-as-i-stood-at-her-helm-and-for-long-hours-silently/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [A well-fashioned day - with a beginning and an end, a purpose and a content, a color and a character, a feel and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/a-well-fashioned-day-with-a-beginning-and-an-end-a-purpose-and-a/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) ## More by Robin Hobb > [Boredom is vastly underrated. Boredom means that nothing is trying to kill you every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/boredom-is-vastly-underrated-boredom-means-that-nothing-is-trying-to/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“But that is not true for all folk. Some folk are meant to argue with fate. And win.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/but-that-is-not-true-for-all-folk-some-folk-are-meant-to-argue-with/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“I tried to leave you alone, Fitz. To find what peace you could, even if it excluded me from your life.” Ten years ago,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/i-tried-to-leave-you-alone-fitz-to-find-what-peace-you-could-even-if/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“Do you think you're taking Etta out of here?" "Yes," Kennit called over his shoulder up the sairs. "What about all these dead men?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/do-you-think-you-re-taking-etta-out-of-here-yes-kennit-called-over/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“A way out is a way in. Then,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/a-way-out-is-a-way-in-then/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“Die in your dreams, wake up insane.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/die-in-your-dreams-wake-up-insane/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“I felt a familiar squeezing in what I thought must be my heart. I had heard of being "heartbroken" or "heavy-hearted" but I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/i-felt-a-familiar-squeezing-in-what-i-thought-must-be-my-heart-i-had/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“They spoke of a dream of a child who bore the heart of a wolf.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/they-spoke-of-a-dream-of-a-child-who-bore-the-heart-of-a-wolf/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“We all perish in our last attempt to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/we-all-perish-in-our-last-attempt-to-live/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“There is always power in holding a secret.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/there-is-always-power-in-holding-a-secret/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“... finally realizing that life was to be lived, rather than hoarded against an unseen tomorrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/finally-realizing-that-life-was-to-be-lived-rather-than-hoarded/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“Why, I suddenly wondered, had I wasted all those hours I could have spent with her? 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And I fear it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/i-don-t-think-i-can-stand-it-much-longer-he-warned-her-something-will/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) [Explore all 500 Robin Hobb quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) ## More Midnight quotes > [The old men of the village of Mahotière say that the Mistress of the Water is a mulatto woman. At midnight she comes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-roumain/the-old-men-of-the-village-of-mahoti-re-say-that-the-mistress-of-the/) [Jacques Roumain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-roumain/) > [A well-fashioned day - with a beginning and an end, a purpose and a content, a color and a character, a feel and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/a-well-fashioned-day-with-a-beginning-and-an-end-a-purpose-and-a/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [“So seemed it to me, as I stood at her helm, and for long hours silently guided the way of this fire-ship on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/so-seemed-it-to-me-as-i-stood-at-her-helm-and-for-long-hours-silently/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“There is a night that never comes to an end… The clock of the world turns under its own shadow. Midnight is a moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-is-a-night-that-never-comes-to-an-end-the-clock-of-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [A too closely watched flower/blossoms the wrong color./Excess attention to the jonquil/turns it gentian. Flowers/need it tranquil to get/their hues right. Some/only open at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-ryan/a-too-closely-watched-flower-blossoms-the-wrong-color-excess/) [Kay Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-ryan/) > [Perfect Night is minimalistic and that's what makes it so forceful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/perfect-night-is-minimalistic-and-that-s-what-makes-it-so-forceful/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Scott noticed Will staring at it and grinned. "Like what you see?" Woolsey Scott asked. "I do enjoy these surprise midnight declarations. Go along,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/scott-noticed-will-staring-at-it-and-grinned-like-what-you-see/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Don’t you dare come into my world and tell me what color the ocean is! It’s black. Black as midnight. Black and awful!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-scrieva/don-t-you-dare-come-into-my-world-and-tell-me-what-color-the-ocean-is/) [Nadia Scrieva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-scrieva/) > [“From midnight to 4: 00 AM is the loneliest time in the world. Because for those of us too sad to sleep, the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lone-alaskan-gypsy/from-midnight-to-4-00-am-is-the-loneliest-time-in-the-world-because/) [Lone Alaskan Gypsy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lone-alaskan-gypsy/) > [I realize now that people are not thinking about you and me or caring what is said about us. They are thinking about themselves-before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/i-realize-now-that-people-are-not-thinking-about-you-and-me-or-caring/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [The Snow White the midnight the moon tales of the mechanics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/the-snow-white-the-midnight-the-moon-tales-of-the-mechanics/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [..."I ran out of stock around midnight and dropped by a place, got some Chinese." I hoped he meant takeout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-chance/i-ran-out-of-stock-around-midnight-and-dropped-by-a-place-got-some/) [Karen Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-chance/) > [I lay down across her with my face in her breasts and my hand on her. We lay there without moving. But under us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-lay-down-across-her-with-my-face-in-her-breasts-and-my-hand-on-her/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Midnight is not in everyman's reach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-char/midnight-is-not-in-everyman-s-reach/) [René Char](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-char/) > [It waits till the midnight hour to come, to torture me for the wrong i've done. it just sits there and stares me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gnarls-barkley/it-waits-till-the-midnight-hour-to-come-to-torture-me-for-the-wrong-i/) [Gnarls Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gnarls-barkley/) [Browse all 808 Midnight quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midnight/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still midnight pond as to seek a grip on that bright mind.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robin Hobb" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a-still-midnight-pond/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Midnight" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a-still-midnight-pond/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/robin-hobb-489_midnight_as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflecti_617749.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/robin-hobb-489_midnight_as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflecti_617749.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/robin-hobb-489_midnight_as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflecti_617749.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still midnight pond as to seek a grip on that bright mind.” — Robin Hobb", "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": "Robin Hobb", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“As well to clutch at the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a-still-midnight-pond/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a-still-midnight-pond/#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 } } ] } ```