---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When waters engulf us we reach for a star."
description: "\"“When waters engulf us we reach for a star.”\" — Theodore Dreiser"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/theodore-dreiser-8057_astronomy_when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-sta_3185562.jpg"
---

#  When waters engulf us we reach for a star.

![“When waters engulf us we reach for a star.” quote by Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/theodore-dreiser-8057_astronomy_when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-sta_3185562.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/theodore-dreiser-8057_astronomy_when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-sta_3185562.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/theodore-dreiser-8057_astronomy_when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-sta_3185562.jpg)

> ““When waters engulf us we reach for a star.””

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When overwhelmed, humanity instinctively seeks hope or guidance, symbolized by reaching for a star amid adversity.

**In simple terms:** In crises we look for hope.

Key Takeaway

Seek guiding aspirations.

Themes

hope resilience aspiration

Mood

hopeful encouraging

Type

inspirational reflective

When to use this quote

- personal crises
- natural disasters
- health challenges
- career setbacks

Key Concepts

psychology symbolism motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- What 'star' guides you in tough times?
- How can you cultivate inner strength?

A Different Perspective

Hope may feel unattainable.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Astronomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/) [Engulf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engulf-4804894/) [Engulf Reach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engulf-reach-5855288/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Reach Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reach-star-735859/) [Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Waters Engulf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waters-engulf-5855287/)

## Related quotes

> [We take death to reach a star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/we-take-death-to-reach-a-star/)

[Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/)

> [If I could reach up and take a star for every time you made me smile, I would have the entire night sky in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-could-reach-up-and-take-a-star-for-every-time-you-made-me-smile/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Our journey to success is not always trying to reach the star that shines the brightest, it is learning along the way and making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-raymond-abad/our-journey-to-success-is-not-always-trying-to-reach-the-star-that/)

[Mark Raymond Abad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-raymond-abad/)

> [“Darkness has finally made its way ,its on us either to engulf it within or let it go”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonali-mehla/darkness-has-finally-made-its-way-its-on-us-either-to-engulf-it/)

[Sonali Mehla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonali-mehla/)

> [“...in short, you sensed that she was there, Moscow, right there, around the turn, and about to heave herself upon you and engulf you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bulgakov/in-short-you-sensed-that-she-was-there-moscow-right-there-around-the/)

[Mikhail Bulgakov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bulgakov/)

> [“Looking at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots representing towns and villages on a map.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/looking-at-the-stars-always-makes-me-dream-as-simply-as-i-dream-over/)

[Vincent van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/)

> [“Just as we take a train to get to Beijing or Manhattan, we take death to reach a star.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-paul-kirkpatrick/just-as-we-take-a-train-to-get-to-beijing-or-manhattan-we-take-death/)

[David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/)

> [When you reach for a star, only angels are there. And it's not very far, just a step on a stair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bush/when-you-reach-for-a-star-only-angels-are-there-and-it-s-not-very-far/)

[Kate Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bush/)

> [“If you're gonna reach for a star, reach for the lowest one you can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerri-blank/if-you-re-gonna-reach-for-a-star-reach-for-the-lowest-one-you-can/)

[Jerri Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerri-blank/)

> [“When you follow a star you know you will never reach that star; rather it will guide you to where you want to go.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/when-you-follow-a-star-you-know-you-will-never-reach-that-star-rather/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [You're not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/you-re-not-a-star-until-they-can-spell-your-name-in-karachi/)

[Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/)

> [I always knew I was a star And now, the rest of the world seems to agree with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-always-knew-i-was-a-star-and-now-the-rest-of-the-world-seems-to/)

[Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/)

> [“Being a rock star is the intersection of who you are and who you want to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-dellaira/being-a-rock-star-is-the-intersection-of-who-you-are-and-who-you-want/)

[Ava Dellaira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-dellaira/)

> [I never wanted to be a movie star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-mitchell/i-never-wanted-to-be-a-movie-star/)

[Radha Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-mitchell/)

> [Studying Sol's interior by looking for analogous patterns on its incandescent face is known as helioseismology, an active - if largely unpronounceable - research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/studying-sol-s-interior-by-looking-for-analogous-patterns-on-its/)

[Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/)

## More by Theodore Dreiser

> [A real flame of love is a subtle thing. It burns as a will-o'-the-wisp, dancing onward to fairy lands of delight. It roars as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/a-real-flame-of-love-is-a-subtle-thing-it-burns-as-a-will-o-the-wisp/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“Cowperwood was shocked by the nudity of the Venus which conveyed an atmosphere of European freedom not common to America;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/cowperwood-was-shocked-by-the-nudity-of-the-venus-which-conveyed-an/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“...the past was so painful at any point. It seared and burned.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/the-past-was-so-painful-at-any-point-it-seared-and-burned/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“His eyes expressed the difficulty he felt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/his-eyes-expressed-the-difficulty-he-felt/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“Who were these people with money, and what had they done that they should enjoy so much luxury, where others as good seemingly as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/who-were-these-people-with-money-and-what-had-they-done-that-they/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [To the untraveled, territory other than their own familiar heath is invariably fascinating. Next to love it is the one thing that solaces and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/to-the-untraveled-territory-other-than-their-own-familiar-heath-is/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [The true meaning of money yet remains to be popularly explained and comprehended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/the-true-meaning-of-money-yet-remains-to-be-popularly-explained-and/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“now. If any habits ever had time to fix upon her, they would have operated here. Habits are peculiar things. They will drive the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/now-if-any-habits-ever-had-time-to-fix-upon-her-they-would-have/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“Here were these two, bandying little phrases, drawing purses, looking at cards, and both unconscious of how inarticulate all their real feelings were. Neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/here-were-these-two-bandying-little-phrases-drawing-purses-looking-at/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [Assure a man that he has a soul and then frighten him with old wives' tales as to what is to become of him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/assure-a-man-that-he-has-a-soul-and-then-frighten-him-with-old-wives/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [If we are to extract any joy out of our span, we must think and plan and make things better not only for ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/if-we-are-to-extract-any-joy-out-of-our-span-we-must-think-and-plan/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“In your rocking-chair, by your window dreaming, shall you long, alone. In your rocking- chair, by your window, shall you dream such happiness as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/in-your-rocking-chair-by-your-window-dreaming-shall-you-long-alone-in/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [“Carrie felt this as a personal reproof. She read "Dora Thorne," or had a great deal in the past. It seemed only fair to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/carrie-felt-this-as-a-personal-reproof-she-read-dora-thorne-or-had-a/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [You walk into a room, see a woman, and something happens. It's chemical. What are you going to do about it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/you-walk-into-a-room-see-a-woman-and-something-happens-it-s-chemical/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

> [Theodore Dreiser Should ought to write nicer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/theodore-dreiser-should-ought-to-write-nicer/)

[Theodore Dreiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

[Explore all 82 Theodore Dreiser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/)

## More Astronomy quotes

> [I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-have-inside-me-the-winds-the-deserts-the-oceans-the-stars-and/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [Wen daylight turns to a darkened hue, D lovely stars hinting at u, ur heart beat tells u something true, That some 1 badly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butterfly-kisses/wen-daylight-turns-to-a-darkened-hue-d-lovely-stars-hinting-at-u-ur/)

[Butterfly\_Kisses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butterfly-kisses/)

> [Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread Through shadows to the edge of night, Until the stars are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/home-is-behind-the-world-ahead-and-there-are-many-paths-to-tread/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [In the movie, the stars above the ship bear no correspondence to any constellations in a real sky. Worse yet, while the heroine bobs...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/in-the-movie-the-stars-above-the-ship-bear-no-correspondence-to-any/)

[Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/)

> [Astronomers have built telescopes which can show myriads of stars unseen before; but when a man looks through a tear in his own eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/astronomers-have-built-telescopes-which-can-show-myriads-of-stars/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [From the grasses in the field to the stars in the sky, each one is doing just that; and there is such profound peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/from-the-grasses-in-the-field-to-the-stars-in-the-sky-each-one-is/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [“Sentinels of trees breathe life into bodies of earthly flesh As their mighty arms reach to the stars we join in their quest for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-ravenswood/sentinels-of-trees-breathe-life-into-bodies-of-earthly-flesh-as-their/)

[Ramon Ravenswood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramon-ravenswood/)

> [“If there are no stars on the sky, you must try to be happy with the shining streetlights!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-there-are-no-stars-on-the-sky-you-must-try-to-be-happy-with-the/)

[Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/)

[Nicole Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gentile/)

> [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/)

[Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/)

> [“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." ... quote has been credited to Les Brown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylviek/shoot-for-the-moon-even-if-you-miss-it-you-will-land-among-the-stars/)

[Sylviek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylviek/)

> [When certain stars take you under their wing, it does help as they gauge your potential and are willing to work with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-bhatt/when-certain-stars-take-you-under-their-wing-it-does-help-as-they/)

[Vikram Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-bhatt/)

> [We were put here as witnesses to the miracle of life. We see the stars, and we want them. We are beholden to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/we-were-put-here-as-witnesses-to-the-miracle-of-life-we-see-the-stars/)

[Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/)

> [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/)

[Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/)

[Browse all 6,190 Astronomy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“When waters engulf us we reach for a star.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Theodore Dreiser"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-star/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Astronomy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-star/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/theodore-dreiser-8057_astronomy_when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-sta_3185562.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/theodore-dreiser-8057_astronomy_when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-sta_3185562.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/200/theodore-dreiser-8057_astronomy_when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-sta_3185562.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When waters engulf us we reach for a star.” — Theodore Dreiser",
                "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": "Theodore Dreiser",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-dreiser/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“When waters engulf us we reach...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-star/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-dreiser/when-waters-engulf-us-we-reach-for-a-star/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
