--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was terribly beautiful to Tess today…" description: "\"It was terribly beautiful to Tess today, for since her eyes last fell upon it she had learnt that the serpent hisses where the sweet birds sing.\" — Tho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/thomas-hardy-410_beautiful_it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today_1525617.jpg" --- # It was terribly beautiful to Tess today, for since her… ![“It was terribly beautiful to Tess today, for since her eyes last fell upon it she had learnt that the serpent hisses where the sweet birds sing.” quote by Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/thomas-hardy-410_beautiful_it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today_1525617.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/thomas-hardy-410_beautiful_it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today_1525617.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/thomas-hardy-410_beautiful_it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today_1525617.jpg) > “It was terribly beautiful to Tess today, for since her eyes last fell upon it she had learnt that the serpent hisses where the sweet birds sing.” [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beauty can coexist with danger; the alluring can hide peril. **In simple terms:** Beauty may hide danger. Key Takeaway Beware hidden threats in alluring situations. Themes beauty danger perception Mood cautious reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - romantic relationships - nature walks - art appreciation Key Concepts dualism symbolism Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern hidden risks in appealing things? - Can beauty be a warning sign? A Different Perspective Often beauty masks risk, requiring vigilance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Beautiful Tess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful-tess-5648595/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Her eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/her-eyes/) [Hisses Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hisses-sweet-5648594/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Learnt Serpent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learnt-serpent-5648597/) [Serpent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serpent/) [Serpent Hisses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serpent-hisses-5648596/) [Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweet/) [Terribly Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terribly-beautiful-5008747/) [Tess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tess/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [I respond well to terribly beautiful, terribly brilliant Russian women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rinder/i-respond-well-to-terribly-beautiful-terribly-brilliant-russian-women/) [Robert Rinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rinder/) > [“It had been so beautiful. Life had been so simple and so terribly beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naseem-rakha/it-had-been-so-beautiful-life-had-been-so-simple-and-so-terribly/) [Naseem Rakha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naseem-rakha/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [It was the touch of the imperfect upon the would-be perfect that gave the sweetness, because it was that which gave the humanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-the-touch-of-the-imperfect-upon-the-would-be-perfect-that-gave/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Bless thy simplicity, Tess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/bless-thy-simplicity-tess/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Did you say the stars were worlds, Tess?" "Yes." "All like ours?" "I don't know, but I think so. They sometimes seem to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/did-you-say-the-stars-were-worlds-tess-yes-all-like-ours-i-don-t-know/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [...the figure near at hand suffers on such occasions, because it shows up its sorriness without shade; while vague figures afar off are honored,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-figure-near-at-hand-suffers-on-such-occasions-because-it-shows-up/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [She was not an existence, an experience, a passion, a structure of sensations, to anybody but herself. To all humankind besides Tess was only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/she-was-not-an-existence-an-experience-a-passion-a-structure-of/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Tis because we be on a blighted star, and not a sound one, isn't it Tess?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/tis-because-we-be-on-a-blighted-star-and-not-a-sound-one-isn-t-it-tess/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Let truth be told - women do as a rule live through such humiliations, and regain their spirits, and again look about them with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/let-truth-be-told-women-do-as-a-rule-live-through-such-humiliations/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Her affection for him was now the breath and life of Tess's being; it enveloped her as a photosphere, irradiated her into forgetfulness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/her-affection-for-him-was-now-the-breath-and-life-of-tess-s-being-it/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Did it never strike your mind that what every woman says, some women may feel?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/did-it-never-strike-your-mind-that-what-every-woman-says-some-women/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“I am only a peasant by position, not by nature!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/i-am-only-a-peasant-by-position-not-by-nature/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/let-not-your-heart-be-troubled-neither-let-it-be-afraid/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [ \[...\] "I recall what you said to me once," Will went on. "That words have the power to change us. Your words have changed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-recall-what-you-said-to-me-once-will-went-on-that-words-have-the/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) ## More by Thomas Hardy > [“He grew away from old associations, and saw something new in life and humanity. Secondarily, he made close acquaintance with phenomena which he had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/he-grew-away-from-old-associations-and-saw-something-new-in-life-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“She was in a sound sleep, Jude, dying of anxiety lest she should have caught a chill which might permanently injure her, was glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/she-was-in-a-sound-sleep-jude-dying-of-anxiety-lest-she-should-have/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [You ride well, but you don't kiss nicely at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-ride-well-but-you-don-t-kiss-nicely-at-all/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [You could sometimes see her twelfth year in her cheeks, or her ninth sparkling from her eyes; and even her fifth would flit over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/you-could-sometimes-see-her-twelfth-year-in-her-cheeks-or-her-ninth/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“It was mid-May time, bringing with it weather not, perhaps, quite so blooming as that assumed to be natural to the month by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-mid-may-time-bringing-with-it-weather-not-perhaps-quite-so/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/if-galileo-had-said-in-verse-that-the-world-moved-the-inquisition/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Some folk want their luck buttered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/some-folk-want-their-luck-buttered/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [Measurement of life should be proportioned rather to the intensity of the experience than to its actual length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/measurement-of-life-should-be-proportioned-rather-to-the-intensity-of/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“I was court-martialed in my absence, and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/i-was-court-martialed-in-my-absence-and-sentenced-to-death-in-my/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“It being the first time in his life that he had touched female fingers under water, Dick duly registered the sensation as rather a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-being-the-first-time-in-his-life-that-he-had-touched-female/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“As soon as she could discern the outline of the house, it had all its old effect upon Tess's imagination. Part of her body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/as-soon-as-she-could-discern-the-outline-of-the-house-it-had-all-its/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [ The perfect woman, you see \[is\] a working-woman; not an idler; not a fine lady; but one who \[uses\] her hands and her head… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-perfect-woman-you-see-is-a-working-woman-not-an-idler-not-a-fine/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“The Sinister Spirit sneered: 'It had to be!' And again the Spirit of Pity whispered, 'Why?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/the-sinister-spirit-sneered-it-had-to-be-and-again-the-spirit-of-pity/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) > [“Justice” was done, and the President of the Immortals (in Aeschylean phrase) had ended his sport with Tess.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/justice-was-done-and-the-president-of-the-immortals-in-aeschylean/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Explore all 561 Thomas Hardy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) [Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) [Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was terribly beautiful to Tess today, for since her eyes last fell upon it she had learnt that the serpent hisses where the sweet birds sing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Hardy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today-for-since-her-eyes-last-fell/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Beautiful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today-for-since-her-eyes-last-fell/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/thomas-hardy-410_beautiful_it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today_1525617.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/thomas-hardy-410_beautiful_it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today_1525617.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/710/thomas-hardy-410_beautiful_it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today_1525617.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was terribly beautiful to Tess today, for since her eyes last fell upon it she had learnt that the…” — Thomas Hardy", "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": "Thomas Hardy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It was terribly beautiful to Tess...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today-for-since-her-eyes-last-fell/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/it-was-terribly-beautiful-to-tess-today-for-since-her-eyes-last-fell/#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 } } ] } ```