--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wild creatures' eyes, the colonel said…" description: "\"“Wild creatures' eyes, the colonel said, Are innocent and fathomless And when I look at them I see That they are not aware of me And oh I find and oh I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5d/stevie-smith-8661_animals_wild-creatures-eyes-the-colonel-said-are_116523.png" --- # Wild creatures' eyes, the colonel said, Are innocent and… ![“Wild creatures' eyes, the colonel said, Are innocent and fathomless And when I look at them I see That they are not aware of me And oh I find and oh I bless A comfort in this emptiness They only see me when they want To pounce upon me at the hunt; But in the tame variety There couches an anxiety…” quote by Stevie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5d/stevie-smith-8661_animals_wild-creatures-eyes-the-colonel-said-are_116523.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5d/stevie-smith-8661_animals_wild-creatures-eyes-the-colonel-said-are_116523.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5d/stevie-smith-8661_animals_wild-creatures-eyes-the-colonel-said-are_116523.png) > ““Wild creatures' eyes, the colonel said, Are innocent and fathomless And when I look at them I see That they are not aware of me And oh I find and oh I bless A comfort in this emptiness They only see me when they want To pounce upon me at the hunt; But in the tame variety There couches an anxiety As if they yearned, yet knew not what They yearned for, nor they yearned for not. And so my dog would look at me And it was pitiful to see Such love and such dependency. The human heart is not at ease With animals that look like these.”” [Stevie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on the unsettling emptiness of animal eyes, seeing both innocence and a hidden yearning that mirrors human loneliness and dependence. **In simple terms:** Animal eyes reveal hidden longing and human emptiness. Key Takeaway Observing animals exposes our own anxieties. Themes nature loneliness dependence existentialism Mood melancholic contemplative Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - Pet ownership - Wildlife observation - Therapeutic animal‑assisted programs Key Concepts projection psychological mirroring Practical Applications - Use animal companionship for emotional support - Practice mindful observation to understand self Questions to Reflect On - What does the animal’s gaze teach us about our own vulnerabilities? - How can we differentiate projection from genuine empathy? A Different Perspective Projecting human emotions onto animals can misinterpret their behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Human heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-heart/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Wild creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-creatures/) ## Related quotes > [“Then in a great crash they threw themselves to the floor, ears flopped down, the whites of their eyes showing, looking the way only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-moussaieff-masson/then-in-a-great-crash-they-threw-themselves-to-the-floor-ears-flopped/) [Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-moussaieff-masson/) > [A dog will make eye contact. 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