Burning bush Quote by Virginia Woolf
““Now," she said when all was ready and lit the silver sconces on either side of the mirror. What woman would not have kindled to see what Orlando saw then burning in the snow--for all about the looking glass were snowy lawns, and she was like a fire, a burning bush, and the candle flames about her head were silver leaves; or again, the glass was green water, and she a mermaid, slung with pearls, a siren in a cave, singing so that oarsmen leant from their boats and fell down, down to embrace her; so dark, so bright, so hard, so soft, was she, so astonishingly seductive that it was a thousand pities that there was no one there to pt it in plain English, and say outright "Damn it Madam, you are loveliness incarnate," which was the truth.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Orlando: A Biography, Virginia Woolf, 1928
The passage celebrates a woman's radiant, transformative presence, likening her to fire and mythic images.
In simple terms: She is captivating and almost divine.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and appreciate extraordinary beauty.
Themes
beauty
transformation
mythology
Mood
poetic
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Art critique
- personal reflection
- creative writing
Key Concepts
Feminist literature
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does language shape perception of beauty?
- What myths echo in modern admiration?
A Different Perspective
May idealize beyond realistic perception.
![“[She] was a remarkable looking woman. Remarkable in that she wasn’t what most people would call beautiful. But she oozed a raw femaleness that I was certain made most women uncomfortable and sent men walking into walls. And when she smiled. Well. That was magic.” quote by Beth Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f4c/beth-hoffman-5200_beauty_she-was-a-remarkable-looking-woman-remar_802196.jpg)
