--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Down below the broad, roaring waves of…" description: "\"Down below the broad, roaring waves of the sea break against the deep foundation of the rock. But high above the mountain, the sea, and the peaks of ro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/rudolf-otto-49703_break_down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-th_1308304.jpg" --- # Down below the broad, roaring waves of the sea break… ![“Down below the broad, roaring waves of the sea break against the deep foundation of the rock. But high above the mountain, the sea, and the peaks of rock the eternal ornamentation blooms silently from the dark depths of the universe.” quote by Rudolf Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/rudolf-otto-49703_break_down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-th_1308304.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/rudolf-otto-49703_break_down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-th_1308304.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/rudolf-otto-49703_break_down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-th_1308304.jpg) > “Down below the broad, roaring waves of the sea break against the deep foundation of the rock. But high above the mountain, the sea, and the peaks of rock the eternal ornamentation blooms silently from the dark depths of the universe.” [Rudolf Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The verse contrasts the powerful, noisy sea crashing on rock with the quiet, eternal beauty that emerges from the universe’s depths. **In simple terms:** Nature’s loud force and quiet wonder coexist. Key Takeaway Notice both the visible and hidden awe. Themes nature spirituality contrast beauty Mood reverent contemplative Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - stormy coast - starry night contemplation - meditative walking - artistic inspiration Key Concepts theology aesthetic experience cosmic perspective Questions to Reflect On - How do you experience awe in everyday moments? - What quiet beauties do you overlook? A Different Perspective The poem may romanticize nature, overlooking human suffering linked to such forces. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break Deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-deep-4320761/) [Broads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broads/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dark Depths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-depths-4308555/) [Deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep/) [Depth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depth/) [Depths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depths/) [Depths Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depths-universe-4320762/) [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Foundation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foundation/) [Mountain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mountain/) [Quiet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quiet/) [Roaring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roaring/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Wave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wave/) ## Related quotes > [“So now you know that, as dark as the depths of the sea may be, as dark as the night gets without a moon,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-haydon/so-now-you-know-that-as-dark-as-the-depths-of-the-sea-may-be-as-dark/) [Elizabeth Haydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-haydon/) > [“Between the shadows of the earth and the dark depths of the sky, human life lay slumbering, with all its unsolved puzzles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-storm/between-the-shadows-of-the-earth-and-the-dark-depths-of-the-sky-human/) [Theodor Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-storm/) > [May you savor your first Mother's Day. Depths are designed for delight, not protection. As passions sweep over the slightest objection, yielding a grace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-gordon/may-you-savor-your-first-mother-s-day-depths-are-designed-for-delight/) [Nicholas Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-gordon/) > [It is of great use to the sailor to know the length of his line, though he cannot with it fathom all the depths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/it-is-of-great-use-to-the-sailor-to-know-the-length-of-his-line/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [Drift beautifully on the surface, and you will die unbeautifully in the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ellmann/drift-beautifully-on-the-surface-and-you-will-die-unbeautifully-in/) [Richard Ellmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ellmann/) > [On top of the world, or in the depths of despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/on-top-of-the-world-or-in-the-depths-of-despair/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Nearby, an old man was similarly engaged in finding the pattern of his life in the depths of his glass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/nearby-an-old-man-was-similarly-engaged-in-finding-the-pattern-of-his/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I am one who has always been interested only in the edges of the body and the spirit, the outlying regions of the body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/i-am-one-who-has-always-been-interested-only-in-the-edges-of-the-body/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [There's a certain rhythm to comedy that is almost like you're dancing and you just go on autopilot, so to speak. There's something just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolk/there-s-a-certain-rhythm-to-comedy-that-is-almost-like-you-re-dancing/) [James Wolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolk/) > [I've come back from the depths of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kotetsu-t-kaburagi/i-ve-come-back-from-the-depths-of-hell/) [Kotetsu T Kaburagi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kotetsu-t-kaburagi/) > [In comics, there are depths that don't reveal themselves immediately, and the stuff that you might consider anal about 'Watching the Watchmen' - like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/in-comics-there-are-depths-that-don-t-reveal-themselves-immediately/) [Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/) > [“In the depths of the ocean; Dipped in love without expectations, We have stripped off our masks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/in-the-depths-of-the-ocean-dipped-in-love-without-expectations-we/) [sir kristian goldmund aumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-kristian-goldmund-aumann/) > [Too often we forget that the great men of faith reached the heights they did only by going through the depths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/too-often-we-forget-that-the-great-men-of-faith-reached-the-heights/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [If you looked down to the bottom of my soul, you would understand fully the source of my longing and – pity me. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-looked-down-to-the-bottom-of-my-soul-you-would-understand/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [''For the depths 'Of the the ocean ''Show the shrieks Of moulded yellow Vast is the eye that can see and the eye That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/for-the-depths-of-the-the-ocean-show-the-shrieks-of-moulded-yellow/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) ## More by Rudolf Otto > [The daemonic-divine object may appear to the mind an object of horror and dread, but at the same time it is no less something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/the-daemonic-divine-object-may-appear-to-the-mind-an-object-of-horror/) [Rudolf Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/) > [But aesthetics is not religion, and the origins of religion lie somewhere completely different. They lie anyway, these roses smell too sweet and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/but-aesthetics-is-not-religion-and-the-origins-of-religion-lie/) [Rudolf Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/) > [That Krishna himself was a historical figure is indeed quite indubitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/that-krishna-himself-was-a-historical-figure-is-indeed-quite/) [Rudolf Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/) > [To see this place would truly be worth a trip to India in itself, and from the spirit of the religion that lived here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/to-see-this-place-would-truly-be-worth-a-trip-to-india-in-itself-and/) [Rudolf Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/) > [A child does not notice the greatness and the beauty of nature and the splendor of God in his works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/a-child-does-not-notice-the-greatness-and-the-beauty-of-nature-and/) [Rudolf Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/) > [Heavy pillars, carved from the rock, bear the roof. Slowly, one's eyes become accustomed to the dim light; then they can make out marvelous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/heavy-pillars-carved-from-the-rock-bear-the-roof-slowly-one-s-eyes/) [Rudolf Otto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/) [Explore all 7 Rudolf Otto quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/) ## More Break quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-schulz/things-are-going-well-in-germany-because-the-economy-is-booming-and/) [Martin Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-schulz/) > [There were songs that we cut out after we chose the name, because 'Praise Break' turned out to be an underlying concept that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-caesar/there-were-songs-that-we-cut-out-after-we-chose-the-name-because/) [Daniel Caesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-caesar/) > [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/your-pain-is-the-breaking-of-the-shell-that-encloses-your/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I hadn't worked for a year when I had my Prison Break audition and it was the easiest audition I've ever had. I got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-hadn-t-worked-for-a-year-when-i-had-my-prison-break-audition-and-it/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [If you strike upon a thought that baffles you, break off from that entanglement and try another, so shall your wits be fresh to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristophanes/if-you-strike-upon-a-thought-that-baffles-you-break-off-from-that/) [Aristophanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristophanes/) > [“A hole ain’t nothing either, but you can still break your neck in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-donati/a-hole-ain-t-nothing-either-but-you-can-still-break-your-neck-in-it/) [Sara Donati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-donati/) > [“I break things, a lot of things, but I don’t want one of them to be you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/i-break-things-a-lot-of-things-but-i-don-t-want-one-of-them-to-be-you/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [Motor racing's less of a sport these days than a commercial break doing 150 mph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-dunne/motor-racing-s-less-of-a-sport-these-days-than-a-commercial-break/) [Peter Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-dunne/) > [Much like teaching art to young art students age 10 to 15 or so on, you have to break it down into bite-sized pieces,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/much-like-teaching-art-to-young-art-students-age-10-to-15-or-so-on/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [The purpose is to be in gratitude forever. Live with applied consciousness, prosperity will break through the walls, flood you with it. You do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-purpose-is-to-be-in-gratitude-forever-live-with-applied/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Never break another man's rice bowl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/never-break-another-man-s-rice-bowl/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) [Browse all 8,188 Break quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Down below the broad, roaring waves of the sea break against the deep foundation of the rock. But high above the mountain, the sea, and the peaks of rock the eternal ornamentation blooms silently from the dark depths of the universe.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rudolf Otto" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-the-sea-break-against-the-deep/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Break" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-the-sea-break-against-the-deep/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/rudolf-otto-49703_break_down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-th_1308304.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/rudolf-otto-49703_break_down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-th_1308304.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/rudolf-otto-49703_break_down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-th_1308304.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Down below the broad, roaring waves of the sea break against the deep foundation of the rock. But high above…” — Rudolf Otto", "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": "Rudolf Otto", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-otto/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Down below the broad, roaring waves...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-the-sea-break-against-the-deep/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-otto/down-below-the-broad-roaring-waves-of-the-sea-break-against-the-deep/#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 } } ] } ```