Bloom Quote by W. E. B. Du Bois
“For fifteen years, I was a teacher of youth. They were years out of the fullness and bloom of my younger manhood. They were years mingled of half breathless work, of anxious self-questionings, of planning and replanning, of disillusion, or mounting wonder.”
About This Quote
Source Autobiography: The Souls of Black Folk, 1903
Reflects on the bittersweet passage of youth, balancing vigor with the weight of responsibility and self‑doubt.
In simple terms: Youth fades as duties grow, leaving both strain and wonder.
Key Takeaway
Embrace growth while honoring inner purpose.
Themes
growth
responsibility
self‑reflection
Mood
nostalgic
contemplative
Type
reflective
philosophical
When to use this quote
- teaching
- career transition
- midlife reflection
- parental mentoring
Key Concepts
aging
identity
purpose
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reconcile youthful ambition with mature duties?
- What practices sustain inner calm amid external change?
A Different Perspective
Balancing external pressures can eclipse inner peace.
![“May I strike my heart's keys clearly, and may none fail because of slack, uncertain, or fraying strings. May the tears that stream down my face make me more radiant: may my hidden weeping bloom… How we waste our afflictions!... [T]hey're really our wintering foliage, our dark greens of meaning…” quote by Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c7/rainer-maria-rilke-193_abode_may-i-strike-my-heart-s-keys-clearly-and_52479.jpg)
