--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the course of time I have learned to…" description: "\"In the course of time I have learned to tramp about coral reefs, twenty to thirty feet under water, so unconcernedly that I can pay attention to partic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/william-beebe-31843_adjectives_in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to_2681693.png" --- # In the course of time I have learned to tramp about coral… ![“In the course of time I have learned to tramp about coral reefs, twenty to thirty feet under water, so unconcernedly that I can pay attention to particular definite things. But after all my silly fears have been allayed, even now, with eyes overflowing with surfeit of color, I am still almost…” quote by William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/william-beebe-31843_adjectives_in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to_2681693.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/william-beebe-31843_adjectives_in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to_2681693.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/william-beebe-31843_adjectives_in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to_2681693.png) > “In the course of time I have learned to tramp about coral reefs, twenty to thirty feet under water, so unconcernedly that I can pay attention to particular definite things. But after all my silly fears have been allayed, even now, with eyes overflowing with surfeit of color, I am still almost inarticulate. We need a whole new vocabulary, new adjectives, adequately to describe the designs and colors of under sea.” [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Exploring coral reefs reveals dazzling colors, yet language fails to capture their beauty, urging the creation of new descriptive terms. **In simple terms:** Underwater colors are amazing but hard to describe. Key Takeaway Invent new words for unseen beauty. Themes exploration language creativity environment Mood awe curiosity reflective Type scientific creative inspirational When to use this quote - scuba diving - artistic inspiration - education Key Concepts marine biology linguistics Questions to Reflect On - What words would you create for this scene? - How can art help express what language cannot? A Different Perspective New vocabulary may still fall short of conveying experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploration/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Ocean exploration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean-exploration/) [Reefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reefs/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Silly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silly/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Vocabulary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vocabulary/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [I think that most people would associate big schools of fish with healthy coral reefs. At Kingman, the predators keep the herd thin, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-skerry/i-think-that-most-people-would-associate-big-schools-of-fish-with/) [Brian Skerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-skerry/) > [For a photographer, sharks are a stirring subject, possessing a perfect blend of grace and power. They have been sculpted by evolution and are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-skerry/for-a-photographer-sharks-are-a-stirring-subject-possessing-a-perfect/) [Brian Skerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-skerry/) > [“Land forests are the coral reefs of the ocean of air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/land-forests-are-the-coral-reefs-of-the-ocean-of-air/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Coral reefs represent some of the world's most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheherazade-goldsmith/coral-reefs-represent-some-of-the-world-s-most-spectacular-beauty/) [Sheherazade Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheherazade-goldsmith/) > [Coral reefs are the backbone for the entire ocean. They are the nursery for the ocean. About a quarter of all marine life in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-orlowski/coral-reefs-are-the-backbone-for-the-entire-ocean-they-are-the/) [Jeff Orlowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-orlowski/) > [Coral reefs are under assault. They are rapidly being degraded by human activities. They are over-fished, bombed and poisoned. They are smothered by sediment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klaus-topfer/coral-reefs-are-under-assault-they-are-rapidly-being-degraded-by/) [Klaus Topfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klaus-topfer/) > [I am delighted to see that the issue of coral reefs is receiving the attention it deserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ii-prince-of-monaco/i-am-delighted-to-see-that-the-issue-of-coral-reefs-is-receiving-the/) [Albert II, Prince of Monaco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ii-prince-of-monaco/) > [Ice ages have come and gone. Coral reefs have persisted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/ice-ages-have-come-and-gone-coral-reefs-have-persisted/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [Managing forests, rivers, grasslands, and coral reefs in sustainable ways makes them more resilient and increases their ability to absorb greenhouse gases, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-rockstrom/managing-forests-rivers-grasslands-and-coral-reefs-in-sustainable/) [Johan Rockstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-rockstrom/) > [Think about this: If water is the blood of our planet flowing through veinous rivers, streams, and into our oceans, what does that make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/think-about-this-if-water-is-the-blood-of-our-planet-flowing-through/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Coral reefs represent some of the worlds most spectacular beauty spots, but they are also the foundation of marine life: without them many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheherazade-goldsmith/coral-reefs-represent-some-of-the-worlds-most-spectacular-beauty/) [Sheherazade Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheherazade-goldsmith/) > [“Why do you paint, Akram?” I asked. “What—” “Close your eyes, Sebastian,” he said, stopping me. “Just for a minute, close them and tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmad-ardalan/why-do-you-paint-akram-i-asked-what-close-your-eyes-sebastian-he-said/) [Ahmad Ardalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmad-ardalan/) > [When ... we realize the possibilities of deep sea life still unknown to us, every haul of the dredge should be welcomed by an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/when-we-realize-the-possibilities-of-deep-sea-life-still-unknown-to/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [... the only other place comparable to these marvelous nether regions, must surely be naked space itself, out far beyond atmosphere, between the stars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-only-other-place-comparable-to-these-marvelous-nether-regions/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [My familiarity with the successful use of very long steel ropes for mining purposes naturally suggested their adaptation to the new purpose of deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-agassiz/my-familiarity-with-the-successful-use-of-very-long-steel-ropes-for/) Alexander Agassiz ## More by William Beebe > [“And so the marvels of nature go on evolving,---wheels within wheels”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/and-so-the-marvels-of-nature-go-on-evolving-wheels-within-wheels/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [The beauty and genius of a work of art may be reconceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-beauty-and-genius-of-a-work-of-art-may-be-reconceived-though-its/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [The longer we were in it, the smaller it seemed to get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-longer-we-were-in-it-the-smaller-it-seemed-to-get/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [To write honestly and with conviction anything about the migration of birds, one should oneself have migrated. Somehow or other we should dehumanize ourselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/to-write-honestly-and-with-conviction-anything-about-the-migration-of/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [The isness of things is well worth studying; but it is their whyness that makes life worth living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-isness-of-things-is-well-worth-studying-but-it-is-their-whyness/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [The marsh, to him who enters it in a receptive mood, holds, besides mosquitoes and stagnation, melody, the mystery of unknown waters, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-marsh-to-him-who-enters-it-in-a-receptive-mood-holds-besides/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [To be a Naturalist is better than to be a King.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/to-be-a-naturalist-is-better-than-to-be-a-king/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [“Before we have the complete solution of the whys and wherefores of herding and flocking and schooling, there must be a great deal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/before-we-have-the-complete-solution-of-the-whys-and-wherefores-of/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [I can only think of one experience which might exceed in interest a few hours spent under water, and that would be a journey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/i-can-only-think-of-one-experience-which-might-exceed-in-interest-a/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [When ... we realize the possibilities of deep sea life still unknown to us, every haul of the dredge should be welcomed by an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/when-we-realize-the-possibilities-of-deep-sea-life-still-unknown-to/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [Earth has few secrets from the birds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/earth-has-few-secrets-from-the-birds/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [Butterflies doing strange things in very beautiful ways were in my mind when I sat down, but by the time my pen was uncapped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/butterflies-doing-strange-things-in-very-beautiful-ways-were-in-my/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [“……but work in the field has nothing to do with dignity or with anything except patience, concentration, and eternal vigilance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/but-work-in-the-field-has-nothing-to-do-with-dignity-or-with-anything/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [A first walk in any new country is one of the things which makes life on this planet worth being grateful for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/a-first-walk-in-any-new-country-is-one-of-the-things-which-makes-life/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) > [... the only other place comparable to these marvelous nether regions, must surely be naked space itself, out far beyond atmosphere, between the stars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/the-only-other-place-comparable-to-these-marvelous-nether-regions/) [William Beebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) [Explore all 16 William Beebe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/) ## More Adjectives quotes > [To write or even speak English is not a science but an art. There are no reliable words… Whoever writes English is involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/to-write-or-even-speak-english-is-not-a-science-but-an-art-there-are/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Avoid the ecstatic adjectives that occupy such disproportionate space in every critic's quiver - words like "enthralling" and "luminous."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/avoid-the-ecstatic-adjectives-that-occupy-such-disproportionate-space/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [In the history of the concept of number has been adjective (three cows, three monads) and noun (three, pure and simple), and now ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mazur/in-the-history-of-the-concept-of-number-has-been-adjective-three-cows/) [Barry Mazur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mazur/) > [In my opinion, using different kinds of epithets and adjectives in connection with the word democracy is a sign of mere hypocrisy, to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/in-my-opinion-using-different-kinds-of-epithets-and-adjectives-in/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [But what is memory if not the language of feeling, a dictionary of faces and days and smells which repeat themselves like the verbs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julio-cort-zar/but-what-is-memory-if-not-the-language-of-feeling-a-dictionary-of/) [Julio Cortazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julio-cort-zar/) > [Eschew all those beastly adjectives...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/eschew-all-those-beastly-adjectives/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [I will give you my definition of a nation, and you can add the adjective 'Jewish.' A Nation is, in my mind, an historical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodor-herzl/i-will-give-you-my-definition-of-a-nation-and-you-can-add-the/) [Theodor Herzl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodor-herzl/) > [The mind that thought of light, heavy, grey, yellow, still, swift, also conceived of magic that would make heavy things light and able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/the-mind-that-thought-of-light-heavy-grey-yellow-still-swift-also/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Whatever you want to say, there is only one word to express it, only one verb to give it movement, only one adjective to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/whatever-you-want-to-say-there-is-only-one-word-to-express-it-only/) [Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/) > [I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English―it is the modern way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-notice-that-you-use-plain-simple-language-short-words-and-brief/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Purity of action guided Janis's behavior. If she was going to be good, she was very, very good. If she was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-joplin/purity-of-action-guided-janis-s-behavior-if-she-was-going-to-be-good/) [Laura Joplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-joplin/) > [I have been called 'Bongshell' the day I stepped into showbiz. So, any adjective coming my way, I take it positively. Sometimes it's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bipasha-basu/i-have-been-called-bongshell-the-day-i-stepped-into-showbiz-so-any/) [Bipasha Basu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bipasha-basu/) > [I like that 'Mad Men' is now an adjective I use to describe clothing when I'm shopping: 'I like this top. It's very 'Mad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-brie/i-like-that-mad-men-is-now-an-adjective-i-use-to-describe-clothing/) [Alison Brie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-brie/) > [anything being perceived as being superior takes the noun. And everything that isn't, that's judged to be inferior, requires an adjective. So there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/anything-being-perceived-as-being-superior-takes-the-noun-and/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [The only sort of descriptive adjective or catch phrase for my music would be 'eclectic.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/the-only-sort-of-descriptive-adjective-or-catch-phrase-for-my-music/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) Browse all 239 Adjectives quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the course of time I have learned to tramp about coral reefs, twenty to thirty feet under water, so unconcernedly that I can pay attention to particular definite things. But after all my silly fears have been allayed, even now, with eyes overflowing with surfeit of color, I am still almost inarticulate. We need a whole new vocabulary, new adjectives, adequately to describe the designs and colors of under sea.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Beebe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to-tramp-about-coral-reefs/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adjectives" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to-tramp-about-coral-reefs/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/william-beebe-31843_adjectives_in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to_2681693.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/william-beebe-31843_adjectives_in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to_2681693.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17b/william-beebe-31843_adjectives_in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to_2681693.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the course of time I have learned to tramp about coral reefs, twenty to thirty feet under water, so…” — William Beebe", "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": "William Beebe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beebe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In the course of time I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to-tramp-about-coral-reefs/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beebe/in-the-course-of-time-i-have-learned-to-tramp-about-coral-reefs/#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 } } ] } ```