Love Quote by Virginia Woolf
““For Love, for which we may now return, has two faces; one white, the other black; two bodies; one smooth, the other hairy. It has two hands, two feet, two nails, two, indeed, of every member and each one is the exact opposite of each other. Yet, so strictly are they joined together that you cannot separate them. In this case, Orlando's love began her flight towards him with her white face turned, and her smooth and lovely body outwards. Nearer and nearer she came wafting before her airs of pure delight. All of a sudden she wheeled about, turned the other way round; showed herself black, hairy, brutish; and it was Lust the vulture, not Love, the Bird of Paradise, that flopped, foully and disgustingly, upon his shoulders. Hence he ran;””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Orlando by Virginia Woolf, 1928
Love and lust are portrayed as dual, opposing forces that can be indistinguishable.
In simple terms: Love and lust appear as opposite yet intertwined.
Key Takeaway
Discern love from lust.
Themes
love
lust
dualities
identity
gender
Mood
introspective
analytical
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- relationships
- self‑discovery
- literary analysis
- creative writing
Key Concepts
binary opposition
psychological conflict
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate love and lust in your life?
- What does the duality suggest about human desire?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may oversimplify complex emotions.
