---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the pause that followed, Shane…"
description: "\"“In the pause that followed, Shane understood why people said their hearts broke. She always thought it was a weak metaphor of strong emotion. She coul..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/thomm-quackenbush-2029_heart_in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-underst_2640227.jpg"
---

#  In the pause that followed, Shane understood why people…

![“In the pause that followed, Shane understood why people said their hearts broke. She always thought it was a weak metaphor of strong emotion. She could feel each bit of shrapnel from her heart stab at her stomach and lungs. Her knees gave out beneath her as she heard the voice tell her what she…” quote by Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/thomm-quackenbush-2029_heart_in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-underst_2640227.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/thomm-quackenbush-2029_heart_in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-underst_2640227.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/thomm-quackenbush-2029_heart_in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-underst_2640227.jpg)

> ““In the pause that followed, Shane understood why people said their hearts broke. She always thought it was a weak metaphor of strong emotion. She could feel each bit of shrapnel from her heart stab at her stomach and lungs. Her knees gave out beneath her as she heard the voice tell her what she already knew in her fragments of cardiac tissue.””

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

## About This Quote

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

A metaphorical heart‑break is described as literal shrapnel, showing pain’s physicality.

**In simple terms:** Heartbreak feels like physical injury.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge emotional pain.

Themes

pain metaphor emotion

Mood

somber introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- therapy
- creative writing
- support groups

Key Concepts

psychosomatics literary imagery

Questions to Reflect On

- How does physical language help process grief?
- Can you describe your own emotional pain?

A Different Perspective

Metaphors may exaggerate.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart Stab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-stab-2264023/) [Heartbreak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heartbreak/) [Hearts Broke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearts-broke-2264021/) [Shane Understood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shane-understood-2264022/) [Shrapnel Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shrapnel-heart-2264024/) [Strong Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-emotion-766754/)

## Related quotes

> [The nightingales are sobbing in The orchards of our mothers, And hearts that we broke long ago Have long been breaking others; Tears are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-nightingales-are-sobbing-in-the-orchards-of-our-mothers-and/)

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

> [“Unrequited love had been all I was capable of. It gave me all the emotional jolts of real love, without ever having to drown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-stovell/unrequited-love-had-been-all-i-was-capable-of-it-gave-me-all-the/)

[Sarah Stovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-stovell/)

> [Falling in love with your best friend, Is like opening up your heart for someone to stab it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/falling-in-love-with-your-best-friend-is-like-opening-up-your-heart/)

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

> [“I will go directly to her home, ring the bell, and walk in. Here I am, take me-or stab me to death. Stab the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-will-go-directly-to-her-home-ring-the-bell-and-walk-in-here-i-am/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [To the last, I grapple with thee; From Hell's heart, I stab at thee; For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/to-the-last-i-grapple-with-thee-from-hell-s-heart-i-stab-at-thee-for/)

[Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/)

> [There is nothing more startling in human relations that the strong emotion of weak people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-augusta-ward/there-is-nothing-more-startling-in-human-relations-that-the-strong/)

[Mary Augusta Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-augusta-ward/)

> [“They were all true today but tomorrow they would be a little less so and next week less so again. It was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/they-were-all-true-today-but-tomorrow-they-would-be-a-little-less-so/)

[Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/)

> [“In all cases love was a strong emotion, not easily contained once it was unleashed. I realized now that love was like a blossoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hawthorne/in-all-cases-love-was-a-strong-emotion-not-easily-contained-once-it/)

[Rachel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hawthorne/)

> [Love is a very strong emotion and a very powerful emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-langford/love-is-a-very-strong-emotion-and-a-very-powerful-emotion/)

[Josephine Langford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-langford/)

> [If you're striving for strong emotion and strong sentiment, and you're authentic with it and honest with it, then you're on the right side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lasse-hallstrom/if-you-re-striving-for-strong-emotion-and-strong-sentiment-and-you-re/)

[Lasse Hallstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lasse-hallstrom/)

> [Why do we feel such strong emotion, Of complete care and pure devotion. It seems to bring,just pain and fear, Along with shame and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fad-ibra/why-do-we-feel-such-strong-emotion-of-complete-care-and-pure-devotion/)

[Fad Ibra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fad-ibra/)

> [“Fear was a strong emotion, but it had nothing on love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepper-winters/fear-was-a-strong-emotion-but-it-had-nothing-on-love/)

[Pepper Winters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepper-winters/)

> [I have never been in a serious relationship and never had a break-up, so I can't tug on my heartstrings that way. But whenever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-henderson/i-have-never-been-in-a-serious-relationship-and-never-had-a-break-up/)

[Ella Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-henderson/)

> [Reason is the first victim of strong emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/reason-is-the-first-victim-of-strong-emotion/)

[Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/)

> [Love is a strong emotion. We are willing to throw our lives away even if it means only being loved a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-a-strong-emotion-we-are-willing-to-throw-our-lives-away-even/)

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

## More by Thomm Quackenbush

> [“Which God is the forgiving one, exactly? Old Testament, where He got His rocks off by smiting? Or New Testament, once Our Heavenly Father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/which-god-is-the-forgiving-one-exactly-old-testament-where-he-got-his/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“As a man, I was a failure. A pathetic teacher lusting after Catholic school girls in short skirts. As a monster, I'm superb. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/as-a-man-i-was-a-failure-a-pathetic-teacher-lusting-after-catholic/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“The whole concept of some stranger making his way down our chimney - not that we had one - suggested burglary more readily than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/the-whole-concept-of-some-stranger-making-his-way-down-our-chimney/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [ “Maybe \[aliens\] have been in our lives a lot longer than we want to admit. People have always seen strange things—elves and fairies—and now… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/maybe-aliens-have-been-in-our-lives-a-lot-longer-than-we-want-to/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“The seed of an urban legend finding fertile soil at the corner of tragedy and imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/the-seed-of-an-urban-legend-finding-fertile-soil-at-the-corner-of/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“There was a charm in being reborn into the world when one was old enough to appreciate it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/there-was-a-charm-in-being-reborn-into-the-world-when-one-was-old/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“She hated anyone who clung to the supernatural when the natural was perfectly serviceable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/she-hated-anyone-who-clung-to-the-supernatural-when-the-natural-was/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“Do you want me because you love me or because I provide you normality drag?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/do-you-want-me-because-you-love-me-or-because-i-provide-you-normality/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“You got a vicious animal inside you. It wants to snap, it wants to attack, but it's harmless because some woman fitted a muzzle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/you-got-a-vicious-animal-inside-you-it-wants-to-snap-it-wants-to/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“He had not even done the fledgling courtesy of shredding open a major artery, anointing himself in the viscous gore, and desecrating her body.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/he-had-not-even-done-the-fledgling-courtesy-of-shredding-open-a-major/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [ “\[T\]hese friends were of the female persuasion, and while by and large they were bi and large, they still represented potential threats on \[her\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/t-hese-friends-were-of-the-female-persuasion-and-while-by-and-large/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“She kissed him… long enough he could almost hear her thoughts. Long enough that he began to know her story, know what she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/she-kissed-him-long-enough-he-could-almost-hear-her-thoughts-long/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“Shane never knew how to address her friends' parents. She wanted to call her Mrs. Eliot's Mom, but knew that the cutesiness would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/shane-never-knew-how-to-address-her-friends-parents-she-wanted-to/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“It’s hard to stay upset over someone else’s happy ending.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/it-s-hard-to-stay-upset-over-someone-else-s-happy-ending/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [“I don't think I'm being harassed by little green stalkers. I don't know what's really going on, but I'd rather try to eliminate all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/i-don-t-think-i-m-being-harassed-by-little-green-stalkers-i-don-t/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

[Explore all 190 Thomm Quackenbush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

## More Heart quotes

> [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [“He held her like a new woman and what she felt felt almost as good as love had, and each of them called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dunn/he-held-her-like-a-new-woman-and-what-she-felt-felt-almost-as-good-as/)

[Stephen Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dunn/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/)

[Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/)

> [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/)

[Rena Kornreich Gelissen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rena-kornreich-gelissen/)

> [“He didn't break my heart. No one can break your heart except you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/he-didn-t-break-my-heart-no-one-can-break-your-heart-except-you/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/)

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

> [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/)

[Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/)

> [My father longed for a better life for us, and when I was nine he got a job as a heart surgeon in Belfast.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-melua/my-father-longed-for-a-better-life-for-us-and-when-i-was-nine-he-got/)

[Katie Melua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-melua/)

> [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/)

[Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/)

> [Always have the fear of God in your heart, and remember that God is always with you, everywhere, whether you are walking or sitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennadius-of-constantinople/always-have-the-fear-of-god-in-your-heart-and-remember-that-god-is/)

[Gennadius of Constantinople](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennadius-of-constantinople/)

> [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/)

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

> [“She couldn't break the orbit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/she-couldn-t-break-the-orbit/)

[Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/)

[Browse all 45,172 Heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“In the pause that followed, Shane understood why people said their hearts broke. She always thought it was a weak metaphor of strong emotion. She could feel each bit of shrapnel from her heart stab at her stomach and lungs. Her knees gave out beneath her as she heard the voice tell her what she already knew in her fragments of cardiac tissue.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Thomm Quackenbush"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-understood-why-people-said-their/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Heart"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-understood-why-people-said-their/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/thomm-quackenbush-2029_heart_in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-underst_2640227.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/thomm-quackenbush-2029_heart_in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-underst_2640227.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d6/thomm-quackenbush-2029_heart_in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-underst_2640227.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In the pause that followed, Shane understood why people said their hearts broke. She always thought it was a…” — Thomm Quackenbush",
                "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": "Thomm Quackenbush",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“In the pause that followed, Shane...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-understood-why-people-said-their/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/in-the-pause-that-followed-shane-understood-why-people-said-their/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
