--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There they are. The extreme definiteness…" description: "\"“There they are. The extreme definiteness with which they stand, now a brilliant white, again yellow, and in some lights red, imposes ideas of durabili..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/virginia-woolf-49_beauty_there-they-are-the-extreme-definiteness_2801490.jpg" --- # There they are. The extreme definiteness with which they… ![“There they are. The extreme definiteness with which they stand, now a brilliant white, again yellow, and in some lights red, imposes ideas of durability, of the emergence through the earth of some spiritual energy elsewhere dissipated in elegant trifles. But durability exists independently of our…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/virginia-woolf-49_beauty_there-they-are-the-extreme-definiteness_2801490.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/virginia-woolf-49_beauty_there-they-are-the-extreme-definiteness_2801490.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/virginia-woolf-49_beauty_there-they-are-the-extreme-definiteness_2801490.jpg) > ““There they are. The extreme definiteness with which they stand, now a brilliant white, again yellow, and in some lights red, imposes ideas of durability, of the emergence through the earth of some spiritual energy elsewhere dissipated in elegant trifles. But durability exists independently of our admiration. Although the beauty is sufficiently humane to weaken us, to stir the deep deposit of mud - memories, abandonments, regrets, sentimental devotions - the Parthenon is separate from all that; and if you consider how it has stood out at night, for centuries, you begin to connect the blaze (at midnight the glare is dazzling and the frieze almost invisible) with the idea that perhaps it is beauty alone that is immortal.”” [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 Parthenon’s enduring beauty illustrates that aesthetic appeal can be timeless, yet true durability transcends admiration and sentiment. **In simple terms:** Beauty can be lasting, but durability is deeper. Key Takeaway Recognize beauty’s limits; seek lasting value. Themes beauty durability history Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - architectural appreciation - art criticism - cultural heritage - personal contemplation Key Concepts aesthetic permanence philosophical reflection Questions to Reflect On - What makes something truly enduring? - Can admiration preserve meaning? A Different Perspective Beauty alone does not guarantee immortality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Admiration Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admiration-beauty-272122/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Beauty Sufficiently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty-sufficiently-1965341/) [Devotions Parthenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devotions-parthenon-3453174/) [Durability Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/durability-exists-3453175/) [Parthenon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parthenon/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-energy/) ## Related quotes > [Ancient and modern languages teem with happily expressed sentiments of more or less force and beauty, sufficiently individualized and excellent to warrant their reproduction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maturin-murray-ballou/ancient-and-modern-languages-teem-with-happily-expressed-sentiments/) [Maturin Murray Ballou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maturin-murray-ballou/) > [“If there is ever a magical beauty that can be watched hours with great admiration, and that is the beauty of a strong light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/if-there-is-ever-a-magical-beauty-that-can-be-watched-hours-with/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“At this time of life one has already been wounded more than once by the darts of love; it no longer evolves by itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-proust/at-this-time-of-life-one-has-already-been-wounded-more-than-once-by/) [Marcel Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-proust/) > [Each time I read a book, I cataloged the parts that struck me dumb with envy and admiration for their beauty and power and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gantos/each-time-i-read-a-book-i-cataloged-the-parts-that-struck-me-dumb/) [Jack Gantos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gantos/) > [You must understand what the Parthenon Marbles mean to us. 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