--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily…" description: "\"“She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily, drowned under water, he thought.”\" — Virginia Woolf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/virginia-woolf-49_drowned_she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-d_95835.jpg" --- # She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily, drowned under… ![“She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily, drowned under water, he thought.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/virginia-woolf-49_drowned_she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-d_95835.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/virginia-woolf-49_drowned_she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-d_95835.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/virginia-woolf-49_drowned_she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-d_95835.jpg) > ““She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily, drowned under water, he thought.”” [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. Describes a woman as ethereal and trapped, evoking a sense of melancholy beauty. **In simple terms:** A fragile, submerged figure. Key Takeaway Beauty can conceal suffering. Themes beauty melancholy femininity illusion Mood haunting poetic Type descriptive metaphorical When to use this quote - poetry analysis - creative writing prompt - literary critique Key Concepts imagery symbolism Practical Applications - teaching metaphorical description - inspiring atmospheric prose Questions to Reflect On - What does the water symbolize? - How does the lily motif affect perception? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drowned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drowned/) [Drowned Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drowned-water-1177132/) [Lily Drowned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lily-drowned-1177131/) [Looked Pale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looked-pale-1177133/) [Pale Mysterious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pale-mysterious-1177134/) ## Related quotes > [“I wonder,” I said. “Perhaps you can meet with an accident on the road. Harwin and I can bring back the sad news that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-shinn/i-wonder-i-said-perhaps-you-can-meet-with-an-accident-on-the-road/) [Sharon Shinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-shinn/) > [“His eyes looked pale green this afternoon, the color of corroded copper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cara-mckenna/his-eyes-looked-pale-green-this-afternoon-the-color-of-corroded-copper/) [Cara McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cara-mckenna/) > [“Everyone at health food stores and juice bars looked pale and sickly. Healthy-looking people ate at McDonald's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-starr/everyone-at-health-food-stores-and-juice-bars-looked-pale-and-sickly/) [Jason Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-starr/) > [I felt embarrassed about how my body looked being so pale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-roberts/i-felt-embarrassed-about-how-my-body-looked-being-so-pale/) [Nicola Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-roberts/) > [“I’m in love with you,” he whispered, searching my eyes. He looked very pale and very scared, and a little…hopeful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-c-stephens/i-m-in-love-with-you-he-whispered-searching-my-eyes-he-looked-very/) [S.C. Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-c-stephens/) > [“I grimaced. “I’ve never done that before.” He smiled. “They all say that. But if it’s true, we’re even. I’ve never kissed a trick.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dev-bentham/i-grimaced-i-ve-never-done-that-before-he-smiled-they-all-say-that/) [Dev Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dev-bentham/) > [“Griffin? You . . . okay?” His face still blank, he looked over at me. His pale eyes were wider than I’d ever seen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-c-stephens/griffin-you-okay-his-face-still-blank-he-looked-over-at-me-his-pale/) [S.C. Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-c-stephens/) > [Shane looked…pale. Pale and shaken and—how predictable was this?—pissed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/shane-looked-pale-pale-and-shaken-and-how-predictable-was-this-pissed/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [“I’m in love with you,” I whispered, searching her eyes. i looked very pale and very scared, and a little…hopeful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dries-wils/i-m-in-love-with-you-i-whispered-searching-her-eyes-i-looked-very/) [Dries Wils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dries-wils/) > [“Naturally men are drowned in a storm, but it is a perfectly straightforward affair, and the depths of the sea are only water after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/naturally-men-are-drowned-in-a-storm-but-it-is-a-perfectly/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“He was drowned, he used to say, and lying on a cliff with gulls screaming over him. He would look over the edge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/he-was-drowned-he-used-to-say-and-lying-on-a-cliff-with-gulls/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“So he was deserted. The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. But why should he kill himself for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/so-he-was-deserted-the-whole-world-was-clamouring-kill-yourself-kill-2/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [You are not drowned when u fall into the water but u are when you stay in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psalmgreat/you-are-not-drowned-when-u-fall-into-the-water-but-u-are-when-you/) [Psalmgreat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psalmgreat/) > [Helen: You've got talent and ambition. Don: Talent? Ambition? That's dead long ago. That's drowned. That's drifting around with a bloated belly on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/helen-you-ve-got-talent-and-ambition-don-talent-ambition-that-s-dead/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [“THAT SCAR. SHE DREW HER EYES FROM IT BUT THEY DESCENDED AGAIN AND YET AGAIN UNTIL SHE FELT PECULIARLY DROWNED IN THE GUILTY MARK.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-heffington/that-scar-she-drew-her-eyes-from-it-but-they-descended-again-and-yet/) [Rachel Heffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-heffington/) ## 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 Drowned quotes > [“THAT SCAR. SHE DREW HER EYES FROM IT BUT THEY DESCENDED AGAIN AND YET AGAIN UNTIL SHE FELT PECULIARLY DROWNED IN THE GUILTY MARK.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-heffington/that-scar-she-drew-her-eyes-from-it-but-they-descended-again-and-yet/) [Rachel Heffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-heffington/) > [Helen: You've got talent and ambition. Don: Talent? Ambition? That's dead long ago. That's drowned. That's drifting around with a bloated belly on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-wilder/helen-you-ve-got-talent-and-ambition-don-talent-ambition-that-s-dead/) [Billy Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-wilder/) > [You are not drowned when u fall into the water but u are when you stay in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psalmgreat/you-are-not-drowned-when-u-fall-into-the-water-but-u-are-when-you/) [Psalmgreat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psalmgreat/) > [“Those mornings were fragile things — like flowers blooming in the middle of a battlefield. She hadn’t realized then that the soil beneath them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-sn/those-mornings-were-fragile-things-like-flowers-blooming-in-the/) [Maggie Sn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-sn/) > [I wish I hadn't cried so much!” said Alice, as she swam about, trying to find her way out. I shall be punished for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/i-wish-i-hadn-t-cried-so-much-said-alice-as-she-swam-about-trying-to/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [“I MADE MY CATS A WATER BED OUT OF A ZIPLOC BAG AND A SHOEBOX. THEY POPPED IT WITH THEIR CLAWS AND THEY ALMOST…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lawson/i-made-my-cats-a-water-bed-out-of-a-ziploc-bag-and-a-shoebox-they/) [Jenny Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lawson/) > [“I have flown and fallen, and I have swum deep and drowned, but there should be more to love than "I survived it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mantchev/i-have-flown-and-fallen-and-i-have-swum-deep-and-drowned-but-there/) [Lisa Mantchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mantchev/) > [“If I faint, pull me out. No Lannister has ever drowned in his bath and I don't mean to be the first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/if-i-faint-pull-me-out-no-lannister-has-ever-drowned-in-his-bath-and/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [Bees are sometimes drowned in the honey which they collectso some writers are lost in their collected learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/bees-are-sometimes-drowned-in-the-honey-which-they-collectso-some/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“Took long enough,” she called out, not wanting to admit how the sight of him made her throat hitch, how the man was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mcintyre/took-long-enough-she-called-out-not-wanting-to-admit-how-the-sight-of/) [Katherine McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mcintyre/) > [For one drop calls another down, till we are drowned in seas of grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-watts/for-one-drop-calls-another-down-till-we-are-drowned-in-seas-of-grief/) [Isaac Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-watts/) > [“You walk through the right way, you will be crowned. 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The price had been his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-dekker/elyon-was-restoring-the-great-romance-teeleh-had-stolen-his-first/) [Ted Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-dekker/) > [Being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/being-in-a-ship-is-being-in-a-jail-with-the-chance-of-being-drowned/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Browse all 206 Drowned quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drowned/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily, drowned under water, he thought.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Virginia Woolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-drowned-under-water-he-thought/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drowned" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-drowned-under-water-he-thought/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/virginia-woolf-49_drowned_she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-d_95835.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/virginia-woolf-49_drowned_she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-d_95835.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cf/virginia-woolf-49_drowned_she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-d_95835.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She looked pale, mysterious, like a lily, drowned under water, he thought.” — 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": "“She looked pale, mysterious, like a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-drowned-under-water-he-thought/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-looked-pale-mysterious-like-a-lily-drowned-under-water-he-thought/#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 } } ] } ```