--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For they might be parted for hundreds of…" description: "\"For they might be parted for hundreds of years, she and Peter; she never wrote a letter and his were dry sticks; but suddenly it would come over her, I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/virginia-woolf-49_bitterness_for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of_754244.jpg" --- # For they might be parted for hundreds of years, she and… ![“For they might be parted for hundreds of years, she and Peter; she never wrote a letter and his were dry sticks; but suddenly it would come over her, If he were with me now what would he say? --some days, some sights bringing him back to her calmly, without the old bitterness; which perhaps was…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/virginia-woolf-49_bitterness_for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of_754244.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/virginia-woolf-49_bitterness_for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of_754244.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/virginia-woolf-49_bitterness_for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of_754244.jpg) > “For they might be parted for hundreds of years, she and Peter; she never wrote a letter and his were dry sticks; but suddenly it would come over her, If he were with me now what would he say? --some days, some sights bringing him back to her calmly, without the old bitterness; which perhaps was the reward of having cared for people; they came back in the middle of St. James's Park on a fine morning--indeed they did.” [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 passage reflects on longing, memory, and the bittersweet comfort of imagined conversations with a lost loved one, highlighting how grief can soften over time. **In simple terms:** Missing someone can become a gentle, reflective comfort. Key Takeaway Allow memories to bring calm rather than bitterness. Themes loneliness memory grief comfort reflection Mood melancholic reflective gentle Type literary emotional philosophical When to use this quote - visiting a grave - reading old letters - walking in a park - talking to a friend about loss - writing memoirs Key Concepts psychology nostalgia time human connection Questions to Reflect On - What would you say to a loved one if they could hear you now? - How does time change the pain of loss? A Different Perspective The imagined dialogue may idealize the past, ignoring unresolved issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bitterness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterness/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) ## Related quotes > [“For twenty years, Peter had been playing with soldiers; first toys, then boys, then grown men. His games had grown from drills involving a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-k-massie/for-twenty-years-peter-had-been-playing-with-soldiers-first-toys-then/) [Robert K. Massie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-k-massie/) > [some we know to be dead even though they walk among us; some are not yet born though they go through all the forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/some-we-know-to-be-dead-even-though-they-walk-among-us-some-are-not/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Of the rest some we know to be dead though they walk among us; some are not yet born though they go through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/of-the-rest-some-we-know-to-be-dead-though-they-walk-among-us-some/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The strange thing about life is that though the nature of it must have been apparent to every one for hundreds of years, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-strange-thing-about-life-is-that-though-the-nature-of-it-must/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why me?" she asked, holding on to him. "Because you cared," he whispered. "You cared so much for your people, it broke your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-curtis-klause/why-me-she-asked-holding-on-to-him-because-you-cared-he-whispered-you/) [Annette Curtis Klause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-curtis-klause/) > [I grew up and I saw a lot of people lose their lives or fall into a bad place. 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There’s so many people out there that do a really good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-m-brown/i-never-really-cared-too-much-for-people-who-made-fun-of-themselves/) T.M. Brown > [“She was too dependent on what other people thought of her, and that was her downfall. She cared too much. She was only what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-bowe/she-was-too-dependent-on-what-other-people-thought-of-her-and-that/) [Steph Bowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-bowe/) > [I have never cared much for people. Most of them are cowards, conformists, muddleheads, moneygrubbers, and they infect each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cees-nooteboom/i-have-never-cared-much-for-people-most-of-them-are-cowards/) [Cees Nooteboom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cees-nooteboom/) > [I never cared what other people thought of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-nassib/i-never-cared-what-other-people-thought-of-me/) [Carl Nassib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-nassib/) > [When I was younger, all I cared about was what people thought of me and my films. Now I care less about catering, hand-serving,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/when-i-was-younger-all-i-cared-about-was-what-people-thought-of-me/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I have never cared too much what people say. What I am interested in is what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-chisholm/i-have-never-cared-too-much-what-people-say-what-i-am-interested-in/) [Shirley Chisholm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-chisholm/) > [“He cared only about people; he was scarcely conscious of places except for their weather, until they had been invested with color by tangible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-cared-only-about-people-he-was-scarcely-conscious-of-places-except/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Bitterness quotes > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [If Japanese tea 'stands,' it acquires a coarse bitterness and an unwholesome astringency. Milk and sugar are not used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-bird/if-japanese-tea-stands-it-acquires-a-coarse-bitterness-and-an/) [Isabella Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-bird/) > [Stronger than alcohol, vaster than poetry, Ferment the freckled red bitterness of love!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-rimbaud/stronger-than-alcohol-vaster-than-poetry-ferment-the-freckled-red/) [Arthur Rimbaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-rimbaud/) > [“What?" I ask. I try not to get snappy with her. She hasn't really done anything wrong. Falling in love with Turner isn't a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-m-stunich/what-i-ask-i-try-not-to-get-snappy-with-her-she-hasn-t-really-done/) [C.M. Stunich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-m-stunich/) > [“The fairest things have fleetest end, Their scent survives their close: But the rose’s scent is bitterness To him that loved the rose. —Francis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-rule/the-fairest-things-have-fleetest-end-their-scent-survives-their-close/) [Ann Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-rule/) > [Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs. With this creed, revenge never worries my heart, degradation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/life-appears-to-me-too-short-to-be-spent-in-nursing-animosity-or/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [“No," I say. "I didn't know that," and as I say it I feel flooded with bitterness at all the things Ingrid kept secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-lacour/no-i-say-i-didn-t-know-that-and-as-i-say-it-i-feel-flooded-with/) [Nina LaCour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-lacour/) > [Forgiving someone who've done you wrong or didn't treat you right could mean that you are allowing yourself to end up away from bitterness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-t-pascua/forgiving-someone-who-ve-done-you-wrong-or-didn-t-treat-you-right/) [April T Pascua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-t-pascua/) > [You cannot be inspired if you are surrounded with negativity, open the door and step into the inspirational garden of nature. Do not let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/you-cannot-be-inspired-if-you-are-surrounded-with-negativity-open-the/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. Carry it by the comfortable handles of gratitude for what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-horne/it-s-not-the-load-that-breaks-you-down-it-s-the-way-you-carry-it/) [Lena Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-horne/) > [Not forgiving prolongs hurt and anger and leads to smoldering resentment, which will make us miserable until it kills us. Resentment destroys the perception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-walters/not-forgiving-prolongs-hurt-and-anger-and-leads-to-smoldering/) Richard Walters > [Let us not give in to pessimism, to that bitterness that the devil offers us every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/let-us-not-give-in-to-pessimism-to-that-bitterness-that-the-devil/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves how bitterness tastes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rin-chupeco/sometimes-it-is-good-to-remind-ourselves-how-bitterness-tastes/) [Rin Chupeco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rin-chupeco/) > [What folly made young people, even those in middle age, think they were immortal? How much better, their lives, if they could remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/what-folly-made-young-people-even-those-in-middle-age-think-they-were/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [Be sure there is something waiting for you after much patience, to astonish you to a degree, that you forget the bitterness of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/be-sure-there-is-something-waiting-for-you-after-much-patience-to/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) [Browse all 1,210 Bitterness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitterness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For they might be parted for hundreds of years, she and Peter; she never wrote a letter and his were dry sticks; but suddenly it would come over her, If he were with me now what would he say? --some days, some sights bringing him back to her calmly, without the old bitterness; which perhaps was the reward of having cared for people; they came back in the middle of St. James's Park on a fine morning--indeed they did.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of-years-she-and-peter-she/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bitterness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of-years-she-and-peter-she/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/virginia-woolf-49_bitterness_for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of_754244.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/virginia-woolf-49_bitterness_for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of_754244.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/virginia-woolf-49_bitterness_for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of_754244.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For they might be parted for hundreds of years, she and Peter; she never wrote a letter and his were dry…” — Virginia Woolf", "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": "Virginia Woolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For they might be parted for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of-years-she-and-peter-she/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-they-might-be-parted-for-hundreds-of-years-she-and-peter-she/#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 } } ] } ```