Skip to content

Gravestones Quote by Yukio Mishima

“The surface of the sea in the lee of the island was black, but the offing was stained with dawn. The mountains enclosing the Gulf of Ise could be seen clearly. In the pale light of daybreak the gravestones looked like so many white sails of boats anchored in a busy harbor. They were sails that…” quote by Yukio Mishima
Download Open image
““The surface of the sea in the lee of the island was black, but the offing was stained with dawn. The mountains enclosing the Gulf of Ise could be seen clearly. In the pale light of daybreak the gravestones looked like so many white sails of boats anchored in a busy harbor. They were sails that would never again be filled with wind, sails that, too long unused and heavily drooping, had been turned into stone just as they were.””

Yukio Mishima

About This Quote

Source Novel: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, 1956

Even beautiful things can become lifeless and unfulfilled when they remain unused.

In simple terms: Unused beauty turns to stone.

Key Takeaway

Avoid letting potential waste.

Themes

impermanence beauty stagnation

Mood

melancholic contemplative

Type

literary poetic

When to use this quote

  • artistic projects
  • career opportunities
  • personal talents
  • relationships

Key Concepts

existentialism loss nature

Questions to Reflect On

  • What talents are you letting sit idle?
  • How can you revive dormant potential?
A Different Perspective

Not all stagnation is inevitable; renewal is possible.

4.6 out of 5 (7 ratings)

More by Yukio Mishima

Explore all 206 Yukio Mishima quotes

More Gravestones quotes

Browse all 19 Gravestones quotes