--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For having lived in Westminster — how…" description: "\"“For having lived in Westminster — how many years now? over twenty, — one feels even in the midst of the traffic, or waking at night, Clarissa was posi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfd/virginia-woolf-49_quote_for-having-lived-in-westminster-how-many_1215550.jpg" --- # For having lived in Westminster — how many years now? over… ![“For having lived in Westminster — how many years now? over twenty, — one feels even in the midst of the traffic, or waking at night, Clarissa was positive, a particular hush, or solemnity; an indescribable pause; a suspense (but that might be her heart, affected, they said, by influenza) before…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfd/virginia-woolf-49_quote_for-having-lived-in-westminster-how-many_1215550.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfd/virginia-woolf-49_quote_for-having-lived-in-westminster-how-many_1215550.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfd/virginia-woolf-49_quote_for-having-lived-in-westminster-how-many_1215550.jpg) > ““For having lived in Westminster — how many years now? over twenty, — one feels even in the midst of the traffic, or waking at night, Clarissa was positive, a particular hush, or solemnity; an indescribable pause; a suspense (but that might be her heart, affected, they said, by influenza) before Big Ben strikes. There!”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote captures the lingering, quiet tension of city life, where even amidst bustle, moments of solemn pause arise, amplified by personal health and the looming presence of Big Ben. **In simple terms:** City life can feel both noisy and oddly still, especially when illness heightens awareness. Key Takeaway Notice how routine sounds can become profound. Themes urban life solitude time health anticipation Mood reflective melancholic contemplative Type literary observational When to use this quote - commuting - nighttime reflection - waiting for a train - recovering from illness - observing city landmarks Key Concepts existential awareness psychological tension urban rhythm Questions to Reflect On - How does illness change your perception of everyday sounds? - What does the ticking of a clock symbolize in your life? A Different Perspective The hush may be fleeting and disrupted by external chaos. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“One feels even in the midst of the traffic, or waking at night, Clarissa was positive, a particular hush, or solemnity; an indescribable pause;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/one-feels-even-in-the-midst-of-the-traffic-or-waking-at-night-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“One feels even in the midst of the traffic, or waking at night, Clarissa was positive, a particular hush, or solemnity; an indescribable pause;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/one-feels-even-in-the-midst-of-the-traffic-or-waking-at-night/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [I'm a Londoner. Embankment. Big Ben. 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