--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truth ... Is a breath, a wind, A shadow…" description: "\"Truth ... Is a breath, a wind, A shadow, a phantom; Long have I pursued it, But never have I touched The hem of its garment.\" — Stephen Crane" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/stephen-crane-4187_breaths_truth-is-a-breath-a-wind-a-shadow-a-phan_2627955.jpg" --- # Truth ... Is a breath, a wind, A shadow, a phantom; Long… ![“Truth ... Is a breath, a wind, A shadow, a phantom; Long have I pursued it, But never have I touched The hem of its garment.” quote by Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/stephen-crane-4187_breaths_truth-is-a-breath-a-wind-a-shadow-a-phan_2627955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/stephen-crane-4187_breaths_truth-is-a-breath-a-wind-a-shadow-a-phan_2627955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78b/stephen-crane-4187_breaths_truth-is-a-breath-a-wind-a-shadow-a-phan_2627955.jpg) > “Truth ... Is a breath, a wind, A shadow, a phantom; Long have I pursued it, But never have I touched The hem of its garment.” [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Truth is elusive, like wind or shadow, forever chased but never fully grasped. **In simple terms:** Truth cannot be fully captured. Key Takeaway Pursue truth with humility. Themes philosophy epistemology search Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - scientific research - personal introspection - journalism Key Concepts elusiveness metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What does chasing truth teach us? - Can we accept uncertainty? A Different Perspective Absolute certainty may be impossible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaths/) [Garments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garments/) [Hem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hem/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Phantom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phantom/) [Phantom Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phantom-long-2166141/) [Phantoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phantoms/) [Pursued](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursued/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Shadow Phantom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow-phantom-2166140/) [Touched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/touched/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-breath-2166139/) [Truth is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-is/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [XXVIII "Truth," said a traveller, "Is a rock, a mighty fortress; "Often have I been to it, "Even to its highest tower, "From whence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/xxviii-truth-said-a-traveller-is-a-rock-a-mighty-fortress-often-have/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“She shook the voices out of her head, but the words left a shadow, a phantom image that never entirely disappeared.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia-and-margret-stohl/she-shook-the-voices-out-of-her-head-but-the-words-left-a-shadow-a/) [Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia-and-margret-stohl/) > [“A friend tells you the truth, that your breath stinks and you need a bath. An enemy tells you that you look great and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/a-friend-tells-you-the-truth-that-your-breath-stinks-and-you-need-a/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [Truth should be the very breath of our life. When once this state in the pilgrim's progress is reached, all other rules of correct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/truth-should-be-the-very-breath-of-our-life-when-once-this-state-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Because one day I'll leave you a phantom to lead you in the summer to join the black parade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/because-one-day-i-ll-leave-you-a-phantom-to-lead-you-in-the-summer-to/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Nothing is greater than to break the chains from the bodies of men, nothing nobler than to destroy the phantom of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/nothing-is-greater-than-to-break-the-chains-from-the-bodies-of-men/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [Time is but a phantom dagger That motion lifts to slay itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-bodenheim/time-is-but-a-phantom-dagger-that-motion-lifts-to-slay-itself/) [Maxwell Bodenheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-bodenheim/) > [This poor world, the object of so much insane attachment, we are about to leave; it is but misery, vanity, and folly; a phantom--the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/this-poor-world-the-object-of-so-much-insane-attachment-we-are-about/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [If you want someone to tell you what to think," the phantom answered briskly, without looking up, "you will never be short of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/if-you-want-someone-to-tell-you-what-to-think-the-phantom-answered/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [The Jesus who makes everything okay for everyone is a phantom, a dream, not a real figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-jesus-who-makes-everything-okay-for-everyone-is-a-phantom-a-dream/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Tonight I gave you my soul, and I am dead." - Christine, from Gaston Leroux's: The Phantom of the Opera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-leroux/tonight-i-gave-you-my-soul-and-i-am-dead-christine-from-gaston-leroux/) [Gaston Leroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-leroux/) > [Material existence is entirely founded on a phantom realm of mind, whose nature and geography are unexplored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/material-existence-is-entirely-founded-on-a-phantom-realm-of-mind/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [For the Phantom, there is only one girl. For Sam, there is only one horse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terri-farley/for-the-phantom-there-is-only-one-girl-for-sam-there-is-only-one-horse/) [Terri Farley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terri-farley/) > [This was life, I supposed, running and running and running, and realizing along the way that the phantom was getting closer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hamilton/this-was-life-i-supposed-running-and-running-and-running-and/) [Jane Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hamilton/) > [Truth is a necessary phantom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/truth-is-a-necessary-phantom/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) ## More by Stephen Crane > [Doubtless there are other roads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/doubtless-there-are-other-roads/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [“She thinks my name is Freddie, you know, but of course it ain't. 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One looked up, grinning, And said, "Comrade!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/i-stood-upon-a-high-place-and-saw-below-many-devils-running-leaping/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) > [A serious prophet upon predicting a flood should be the first man to climb a tree. 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The debates drained him of his fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/eventually-his-courage-expended-itself-upon-these-objections-the/) [Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) [Explore all 115 Stephen Crane quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/) ## More Breaths quotes > [Don't let a breath escape from your body without Krishna's name. That should be our determination throughout our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhanath-swami/don-t-let-a-breath-escape-from-your-body-without-krishna-s-name-that/) [Radhanath Swami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhanath-swami/) > [Jazz is the music of the body. The breath comes through brass. 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