Quote by Henry Van Dyke, A Parable of Imm
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, 'There she goes!' Gone where? Gone from my sight ... that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, 'There she goes!' there are other eyes watching her coming and their voices ready to take up the glad shouts 'Here she comes!'
Summary
This quote uses the metaphor of a ship sailing out into the ocean to illustrate the concept of death. The narrator describes watching the ship sail away until it becomes a tiny speck on the horizon. When someone remarks "there she goes!", the narrator wonders where it has gone. The reply is that it is only out of sight, but still as majestic and capable as before. The quote suggests that while we may mourn the loss of a loved one, they continue to exist in a different form, with others eagerly awaiting their arrival. It offers a comforting perspective on life's transience and the continuity of existence.
Topics
Death
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