--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nor praise the deep vermilion in the…" description: "\"“Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose,\" she read, and so reading she was ascending, she felt, on to the top, on to the summit. How satisfying! How..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/virginia-woolf-49_books_nor-praise-the-deep-vermilion-in-the-ros_1315976.jpg" --- # Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose," she read, and… ![“Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose," she read, and so reading she was ascending, she felt, on to the top, on to the summit. How satisfying! How restful! All the odds and ends of the day stuck to this magnet; her mind felt swept, felt clean. And then there it was, suddenly entire; she held…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/virginia-woolf-49_books_nor-praise-the-deep-vermilion-in-the-ros_1315976.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/virginia-woolf-49_books_nor-praise-the-deep-vermilion-in-the-ros_1315976.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abc/virginia-woolf-49_books_nor-praise-the-deep-vermilion-in-the-ros_1315976.jpg) > ““Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose," she read, and so reading she was ascending, she felt, on to the top, on to the summit. How satisfying! How restful! All the odds and ends of the day stuck to this magnet; her mind felt swept, felt clean. And then there it was, suddenly entire; she held it in her hands, beautiful and reasonable, clear and complete, here--the sonnet. But she was becoming conscious of her husband looking at her. He was smiling at her, quizzically, as if he were ridiculing her gently for being asleep in broad daylight, but at the same time he was thinking, Go on reading. You don't look sad now, he thought. And he wondered what she was reading, and exaggerated her ignorance, her simplicity, for he liked to think that she was not clever, not book-learned at all. He wondered if she understood what she was reading. Probably not, he thought. She was astonishingly beautiful. Her beauty seemed to him, if that were possible, to increase.”” [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. Reading a sonnet brings the woman peace and clarity, while her husband watches, questioning her intellect. **In simple terms:** A poem calms her; husband doubts her. Key Takeaway Appreciate art’s calming power. Themes art reading gender dynamics perception intimacy Mood introspective thoughtful Type literary psychological When to use this quote - literature - psychology - social commentary Key Concepts literary analysis psychology relationship dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Does the husband’s attitude undermine her experience? - How does literature provide refuge? A Different Perspective The husband’s condescension may reflect broader societal biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Sonnet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sonnet/) ## Related quotes > [“she read, and so reading she was ascending, she felt, on to the top, on to the summit. How satisfying! How restful! All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-read-and-so-reading-she-was-ascending-she-felt-on-to-the-top-on/) [virginia woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. 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But she was becoming conscious of her husband looking at her. He was smiling at her, quizzically, as if he were ridiculing her gently for being asleep in broad daylight, but at the same time he was thinking, Go on reading. You don't look sad now, he thought. And he wondered what she was reading, and exaggerated her ignorance, her simplicity, for he liked to think that she was not clever, not book-learned at all. He wondered if she understood what she was reading. Probably not, he thought. She was astonishingly beautiful. 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