Long sleep Quote by William Faulkner
““For a long while we just stood there, looking down at the profound and fleshless grin. The body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace, but now the long sleep that outlasts love, that conquers even the grimace of love, had cuckolded him. What was left of him, rotted beneath what was left of the nightshirt, had become inextricable from the bed in which he lay; and upon him and upon the pillow beside him lay that even coating of the patient and biding dust. Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-grey hair.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Light in August by William Faulkner, 1932
The passage describes a corpse in a bed, emphasizing decay, the lingering presence of love, and the stark reality of death.
In simple terms: A dead body is described with vivid, morbid detail.
Key Takeaway
Recognize mortality and the fragility of life.
Themes
death
decay
memory
love
existence
Mood
somber
reflective
haunting
Type
literary
descriptive
philosophical
When to use this quote
- funeral rites
- historical fiction
- psychological analysis
Key Concepts
mortality
impermanence
human condition
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the description of decay reveal about the narrator’s feelings?
- How does the juxtaposition of love and death affect the mood?
A Different Perspective
The focus on physical decay may overlook emotional or spiritual aspects.
