Recall, then, some event that has left a distinct impression on you---how at the corner of the street, perhaps, you passed two people talking. A tree shook; an electric light danced; the tone of the talk was comic, but also tragic; a whole vision, an entire conception, seemed contained in that moment.But when you attempt to reconstruct it in words, you will find that it breaks into a thousand conflicting impressions.

Summary

This quote highlights the challenge of translating a vivid, impactful experience into words. It urges us to remember a particular event that left a lasting mark, like passing two people conversing on a street corner. The surroundings may have been dynamic with a shaking tree and dancing light. The conversation may have carried both comic and tragic undertones, encompassing a profound vision. However, when we endeavor to express this moment in language, its complexity overwhelms us, fragmenting into countless contradictory impressions that are difficult to capture within a coherent narrative.

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