More towers must yet be built-more towers destroyed- Great rocks hoisted in air; And he must seek his bread in high pale sunlight With gulls about him, and clouds just over his eyes . . . And so he did not mention his dream of falling But drank his coffee in silence, and heard in his ears That horrible whistle of wind, and felt his breath Sucked out of him, and saw the tower flash by And the small tree swell beneath him . . . He patted his boy on the head, and kissed his wife, Looked quickly around the room, to remember it,- And so went out . . . For once, he forgot his pail.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A man goes about his daily routine despite inner turmoil or grand thoughts, showing the persistence of mundane life.
- In plain terms
- He did his daily work and remembered his family, even though he was thinking about heavy things.
- What can you take from it?
- Daily routines continue regardless of inner struggles.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do you handle stress?
- What keeps you grounded?
Another view
It suggests avoiding difficult thoughts rather than addressing them.
More from Conrad Aiken
Each gleaming point of light is like a seed Dilating swiftly to coiling fires. Each cloud becomes a rapidly dimming face, Each hurrying face records its strang…
Permalink to quote #36 Something had changed-but it was not the street- The street was just the same-it was himself.
Permalink to quote #38 We rub the darkness from our eyes, And face our thousand devious secret mornings . . . And do not see how the pale mist, slowly ascending, Shaped by the sun, s…
Permalink to quote #35
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