--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Draw a breath, a deep breath, now hold…" description: "\"“Draw a breath, a deep breath, now hold it, my friends, hold it long for the world the world drowns.”\" — Steven Erikson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/steven-erikson-588_deep-breath_draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it_2599432.jpg" --- # Draw a breath, a deep breath, now hold it, my friends… ![“Draw a breath, a deep breath, now hold it, my friends, hold it long for the world the world drowns.” quote by Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/steven-erikson-588_deep-breath_draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it_2599432.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/steven-erikson-588_deep-breath_draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it_2599432.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/steven-erikson-588_deep-breath_draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it_2599432.jpg) > ““Draw a breath, a deep breath, now hold it, my friends, hold it long for the world the world drowns.”” [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A deep, held breath symbolizes enduring hardship as the world overwhelms us. **In simple terms:** Endure hardship as the world overwhelms you. Key Takeaway Hold steady in crisis. Themes resilience endurance human condition Mood reflective somber Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal loss - global crises - war zones Key Concepts psychological coping existential reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do you actively cope with overwhelming situations? - What does “holding breath” represent for you? A Different Perspective Holding breath can be a passive coping mechanism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deep breath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-breath/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes we have to take what life gives us, but we take it with one big step, bounce, and a leap! 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Perhaps a better way of seeing it.’ ‘Such release…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/i-was-reminded-the-way-that-wood-crumbles-into-dissolution-the/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“I am here to arrest your manservant. The one named Bugg.’ ‘Oh, now really, his cooking isn’t that bad.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/i-am-here-to-arrest-your-manservant-the-one-named-bugg-oh-now-really/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [The more civilized a nation, the more conformed its population, until that civilization's last age arrives, when multiplicity wages war with conformity. 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What a stupid question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/why-do-i-hate-spiders-gods-who-doesn-t-what-a-stupid-question/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [It is an extraordinary act of courage,' said Tulas Shorn, 'to come to know a stranger's pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/it-is-an-extraordinary-act-of-courage-said-tulas-shorn-to-come-to/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“I admit,’ said Spite, ‘to a certain melancholy when visiting vibrant cities, as is this Darujhistan. A long life teaches one just how ephemeral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/i-admit-said-spite-to-a-certain-melancholy-when-visiting-vibrant/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [All art is an intensely vulnerable gesture, and it is made with no small amounts of risk, and fear. So, I have plenty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/all-art-is-an-intensely-vulnerable-gesture-and-it-is-made-with-no/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [“People who make up their minds about something never listen to advice - especially when it's to the contrary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/people-who-make-up-their-minds-about-something-never-listen-to-advice/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) [Explore all 452 Steven Erikson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) ## More Deep breath quotes > [“The days may last forever, but the years pass by in a blink; the secret to survival is actually remembering to take a deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-smokler/the-days-may-last-forever-but-the-years-pass-by-in-a-blink-the-secret/) [Jill Smokler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-smokler/) > [Take a deep breath. It,s just a bad day not a bad life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-a-deep-breath-it-s-just-a-bad-day-not-a-bad-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Take a deep breath. Now, let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madi/take-a-deep-breath-now-let-go/) [Madi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madi/) > [Okay, so, flying,” I started, taking a deep breath and focusing on the thing I loved most in the world. “Flying is … great.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/okay-so-flying-i-started-taking-a-deep-breath-and-focusing-on-the/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [Go for broke. Always try and do too much. Dispense with safety nets. Take a deep breath before you begin talking. 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A warm glow washed over her body, increasing in heat with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeroen-steenbeeke/lianna-took-a-deep-breath-and-willed-the-water-to-come-forth-a-warm/) Jeroen Steenbeeke > [I take a deep breath. I'm not sure where that swell of desperation came from, but know that I've acknowledge it, it's impossible to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-take-a-deep-breath-i-m-not-sure-where-that-swell-of-desperation/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [He drew a deep breath. 'Well, I'm back,' he said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-drew-a-deep-breath-well-i-m-back-he-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I took a deep breath, held that scent in my lungs for long seconds as I tried to inhale the normalcy that made up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-deebs/i-took-a-deep-breath-held-that-scent-in-my-lungs-for-long-seconds-as/) [Tracy Deebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-deebs/) > [Today I close the door to the past , open the door to the future, take a deep breath, step on through and start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/today-i-close-the-door-to-the-past-open-the-door-to-the-future-take-a/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“giving an explanation of why I cut was tough. I didn't even really understand why I did it. I took a deep breath. "Well...when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/giving-an-explanation-of-why-i-cut-was-tough-i-didn-t-even-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 358 Deep breath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-breath/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Draw a breath, a deep breath, now hold it, my friends, hold it long for the world the world drowns.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Erikson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it-my-friends-hold-it-long-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deep breath" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it-my-friends-hold-it-long-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/steven-erikson-588_deep-breath_draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it_2599432.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/steven-erikson-588_deep-breath_draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it_2599432.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/steven-erikson-588_deep-breath_draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it_2599432.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Draw a breath, a deep breath, now hold it, my friends, hold it long for the world the world drowns.” — Steven Erikson", "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": "Steven Erikson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Draw a breath, a deep breath,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it-my-friends-hold-it-long-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/draw-a-breath-a-deep-breath-now-hold-it-my-friends-hold-it-long-for/#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 } } ] } ```