---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seemed now as if, touched by human…"
description: "\"“It seemed now as if, touched by human penitence and all its toil, divine goodness had parted the curtain and displayed behind it, single, distinct, th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/virginia-woolf-49_god_it-seemed-now-as-if-touched-by-human-pen_935994.jpg"
---

#  It seemed now as if, touched by human penitence and all…

![“It seemed now as if, touched by human penitence and all its toil, divine goodness had parted the curtain and displayed behind it, single, distinct, the hare erect; the wave falling; the boat rocking, which did we deserve them, should be ours always. But alas, divine goodness, twitching the cord…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/virginia-woolf-49_god_it-seemed-now-as-if-touched-by-human-pen_935994.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/virginia-woolf-49_god_it-seemed-now-as-if-touched-by-human-pen_935994.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b05/virginia-woolf-49_god_it-seemed-now-as-if-touched-by-human-pen_935994.jpg)

> ““It seemed now as if, touched by human penitence and all its toil, divine goodness had parted the curtain and displayed behind it, single, distinct, the hare erect; the wave falling; the boat rocking, which did we deserve them, should be ours always. But alas, divine goodness, twitching the cord, draws the curtain; it does not please him; he covers his treasures in a drench of hail, and so breaks them, so confuses them that it seems impossible that their calm should ever return or that we should ever compose from their fragments a perfect whole or read in the littered pieces the clear words of truth. For our penitence deserves a glimpse only; our toil respite only.””

[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.

Human effort and repentance briefly reveal truth, but divine forces obscure and fragment it, leaving only fleeting glimpses of clarity.

**In simple terms:** We see truth briefly, then it’s hidden again.

Key Takeaway

Accept that understanding is often incomplete.

Themes

faith perseverance truth divine humanity

Mood

melancholic contemplative

Type

philosophical literary

When to use this quote

- spiritual crisis
- creative process
- personal reflection
- seeking meaning

Key Concepts

existentialism epistemology fragility

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you cope with fragmented truths?
- What role does humility play in seeking clarity?

A Different Perspective

The notion of a perfect, unified truth may be unrealistic.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/)

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