The words they spoke were voices that she heard. She looked at them and saw them as they were And what she felt fought off the barest phrase.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Perception and emotion clash when trying to interpret simple spoken words.
- In plain terms
- What we feel struggles against the plain words we hear.
- What can you take from it?
- Acknowledge the gap between words and deeper feelings.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How often do words fail your feelings?
- When did you hear more than what was said?
Another view
Sometimes words are meant to be taken literally without deeper feeling.
More from Wallace Stevens
They married well because the marriage-place Was what they loved. It was neither heaven nor hell. They were love's characters come face to face.
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