--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is said that once upon a time St…" description: "\"“It is said that once upon a time St. Kevin was kneeling with his arms stretched out in the form of a cross in Glendalough. . . As Kevin knelt and pray..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b79/seamus-heaney-1711_bird_it-is-said-that-once-upon-a-time-st-kevi_237025.png" --- # It is said that once upon a time St. Kevin was kneeling… ![“It is said that once upon a time St. Kevin was kneeling with his arms stretched out in the form of a cross in Glendalough. . . As Kevin knelt and prayed, a blackbird mistook his outstretched hand for some kind of roost and swooped down upon it, laid a clutch of eggs in it and proceeded to nest in…” quote by Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b79/seamus-heaney-1711_bird_it-is-said-that-once-upon-a-time-st-kevi_237025.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b79/seamus-heaney-1711_bird_it-is-said-that-once-upon-a-time-st-kevi_237025.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b79/seamus-heaney-1711_bird_it-is-said-that-once-upon-a-time-st-kevi_237025.png) > ““It is said that once upon a time St. Kevin was kneeling with his arms stretched out in the form of a cross in Glendalough. . . As Kevin knelt and prayed, a blackbird mistook his outstretched hand for some kind of roost and swooped down upon it, laid a clutch of eggs in it and proceeded to nest in it as if it were the branch of a tree. Then, overcome with pity and constrained by his faith to love all creatures great and small, Kevin stayed immobile for hours and days and nights and weeks, holding out his hand until the eggs hatched and the fledging grew wings, true to life if subversive of common sense, at the intersection of natural process and the glimpsed ideal, at one and the same time a signpost and a reminder. Manifesting that order of poetry where we can at last grow up to that which we stored up as we grew.”” [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compassion can lead to self‑sacrifice, blurring natural order and spiritual ideal. **In simple terms:** Love may cause us to hold on to impossible things. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of altruism. Themes compassion faith nature Mood reflective poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - volunteer work - environmental stewardship - personal meditation - ethical dilemmas Key Concepts self‑sacrifice spiritual paradox human‑animal bond Questions to Reflect On - When does caring become self‑destructive? - How can we love responsibly? A Different Perspective Blind compassion can cause personal harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“If you were extremely unlucky, the forest spiders would get to you first and lay their eggs in you.” “Why is that considered extremely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/if-you-were-extremely-unlucky-the-forest-spiders-would-get-to-you/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [The hatched chick cannot go back to the shell, the falcon who has found the sky does not willingly sit the nest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-lackey/the-hatched-chick-cannot-go-back-to-the-shell-the-falcon-who-has/) [Mercedes Lackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-lackey/) > [Prussia was hatched from a cannon-ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/prussia-was-hatched-from-a-cannon-ball/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Too late. 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