Late afternoon Quote by Sherwood Anderson
““He was almost a poet in his old age and his notion of what happened took a poetic turn. 'I had come to the time in my life when prayer became necessary and so I invented gods and prayed to them,' he said. 'I did not say my prayers in words nor did I kneel down but sat perfectly still in my chair. In the late afternoon when it was hot and quiet on Main Street or in the winter when the days were gloomy, the gods came into the office and I thought no one knew about them. Then I found that this woman Elizabeth knew, that she worshipped also the same gods. I have a notion that she came to the office because she thought the gods would be there but she was happy to find herself not alone just the same. It was an experience that cannot be explained, although I suppose it is always happening to men and women in all sorts of places.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Man Who Was Almost a Poet” (published 1917)
An elderly man creates personal deities for comfort, finding shared belief with a colleague, suggesting spirituality is private and communal.
In simple terms: He made up gods and found a friend who believed too.
Key Takeaway
Create personal meaning and seek shared experiences.
Themes
spirituality
loneliness
creativity
community
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- office work
- late afternoon solitude
- winter gloom
- personal crisis
Key Concepts
personal mythmaking
shared belief
Questions to Reflect On
- What does creating personal gods reveal about human needs?
- How can shared private beliefs foster connection?
A Different Perspective
Personal gods may not be universally accepted; could be seen as escapism.
