Quote by Virginia Woolf
Let us consider letters - how they come at breakfast, and at night, with their yellow stamps and their green stamps, immortalized by the postmark - for to see one's own envelope on another's table is to realize how soon deeds sever and become alien. Then at last the power of the mind to quit the body is manifest, and perhaps we fear or hate or wish annihilated this phantom of ourselves, lying on the table. Still, there are letters that merely say how dinner's at seven; others ordering coal; making appointments. The hand in them is scarcely perceptible, let alone the voice or the scowl. Ah, but when the post knocks and the letter comes always the miracle seems repeated - speech attempted. Venerable are letters, infinitely brave, forlorn, and lost.
Summary
This quote explores the significance of letters and the profound impact they have on our lives. It reflects on how letters arrive in the morning or evening, marked by stamps that endure even after they are received. It acknowledges how letters connect people but also symbolize the detachment that occurs over time. The quote suggests that the power of the mind to transcend the physical body is apparent when seeing one's own envelope on another's table, evoking a range of emotions such as fear, hatred, or a desire for self-erasure. Despite the mundane nature of many letters, there is still a sense of wonder and the attempt at conveying speech, making letters venerable, brave, and often lost.
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