Skip to content

Children Quote by William S. Wilson

“Turning and climbing, the double helix evolved to an operation which had always existed as a possibility for mankind, the eating of light. The appetite for light was ancient. Light had been eaten metaphorically in ritual transubstantiations. Poets had declared that to be is to be a variable of…” quote by William S. Wilson
Download Open image
““Turning and climbing, the double helix evolved to an operation which had always existed as a possibility for mankind, the eating of light. The appetite for light was ancient. Light had been eaten metaphorically in ritual transubstantiations. Poets had declared that to be is to be a variable of light, that this peach, and even this persimmon, is light. But the peach which mediated between light and the appetite for light interfered with the taste of light, and obscured the appetite it aroused. The appetite for actual light was at first appeased by symbols. But the simple instruction, promulgated during the Primordification, to taste the source of the food in the food, led to the ability to eat light. Out of the attempt to taste sources came the ability to detect unpleasant chemicals. These had to be omitted. Eaters learned to taste the animal in the meat, and the animal's food and drink, and to taste the waters and sugars in the melon. The discriminations grew finer - children learned to eat the qualities of the pear as they ate its flesh, and to taste its slow ripening in autumn sunlight. In the ripeness of the orange they recapitulated the history of the orange. Two results occurred. First, the children were quick to surpass the adults, and with their unspoiled tastes, and their desire for light, they learned the flavor of the soil in which the blueberry grew, and the salty sweetness of the plankton in the sea trout, but they also became attentive to the taste of sunlight. Soon there were attempts to keep fruit of certain vintages: the pears of a superbly comfortable autumn in Anjou, or the oranges of Seville from a year so seasonless that their modulations of bouquet were unsurpassed for decades. Fruit was eaten as a retrospective of light. Second, children of each new generation grew more clearly, until children were shaped as correctly as crystals. The laws governing the operations of growth shone through their perfect exemplification. Life became intellectually transparent. ("Desire")””

William S. Wilson

About This Quote

The passage describes humanity’s evolving ability to perceive and “taste” light through metaphor, sensory refinement, and cultural practices, leading to deeper understanding of nature and self.

In simple terms: Humans learn to perceive light and flavor more deeply over time.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate refined perception and curiosity.

Themes

perception growth culture science food

Mood

reflective inquisitive hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational educational

When to use this quote

  • culinary arts
  • education
  • environmental observation
  • child development
  • agricultural heritage

Key Concepts

sensory evolution metaphor cognitive development

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does refined sensory perception change our relationship with nature?
  • In what ways can metaphor guide scientific discovery?
A Different Perspective

The metaphorical language may obscure practical scientific insight.

2.5 out of 5 (5 ratings)

More by William S. Wilson

Explore all 16 William S. Wilson quotes

More Children quotes

Browse all 62,417 Children quotes