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Grapes Quote by Vladimir Nabokov

“My only grudge against nature was that I could not turn my Lolita inside out and apply voracious lips to her young matrix, her unknown heart, her nacreous liver, the sea-grapes of her lungs, her comely twin kidneys.” quote by Vladimir Nabokov
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“My only grudge against nature was that I could not turn my Lolita inside out and apply voracious lips to her young matrix, her unknown heart, her nacreous liver, the sea-grapes of her lungs, her comely twin kidneys.”

Vladimir Nabokov

About This Quote

Source Novel: "Ada, or Ardor", 1969

The speaker’s erotic metaphor expresses a complex, almost obsessive fascination with nature’s intimate details, blending desire with scientific observation.

In simple terms: Intense fascination with nature’s inner life.

Key Takeaway

Explore the sensual side of observation.

Themes

obsession nature eroticism

Mood

melancholic intense

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • botanical study
  • artistic inspiration
  • personal reflection

Key Concepts

biological metaphor literary sensuality

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does language shape our perception of nature?
  • When does metaphor become distraction?
A Different Perspective

Such vivid eroticism can alienate readers or obscure scientific meaning.

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