Cold outside Quote by Sherwood Anderson
““Tales are people who sit on the doorstep of the house of my mind. It is cold outside and they sit waiting. I look out at a window. The tales have cold hands, Their hands are freezing. A short thickly-built tale arises and threshes his arms about. His nose is red and he has two gold teeth. There is an old female tale sitting hunched up in a cloak. Many tales come to sit for a few moments on the doorstep and then go away. It is too cold for them outside. The street before the door of the house of my mind is filled with tales. They murmur and cry out, they are dying of cold and hunger. I am a helpless man--my hands tremble. I should be sitting on a bench like a tailor. I should be weaving warm cloth out of the threads of thought. The tales should be clothed. They are freezing on the doorstep of the house of my mind. I am a helpless man--my hands tremble. I feel in the darkness but cannot find the doorknob. I look out at a window. Many tales are dying in the street before the house of my mind. CONTENTS””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “Contents”, 1920s (published in The Little Review)
A narrator likens stories to cold, starving figures at his mind’s doorstep, yearning for warmth and attention.
In simple terms: Stories need care and attention.
Key Takeaway
Nurture your ideas.
Themes
imagination
loneliness
creativity
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
metaphorical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing retreats
- mental health
- creative blocks
- idea incubation
Key Concepts
metaphor
mental landscape
storytelling
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “warming” a story mean to you?
- How do you protect ideas from “cold”?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may be overly abstract, alienating some readers.
