Quote by Vincent Van Gogh, Letter to Theo
For my own part, I declare I know nothing whatever about it. But to look at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots of a map representing towns and villages. Why, I ask myself, should the shining dots of the sky not be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France? If we take the train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star. One thing undoubtedly true in this reasoning is this: that while we are alive we cannot get to a star, any more than when we are dead we can take the train.
Summary
This quote, by French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, emphasizes the awe-inspiring nature of stars and the limitations of human existence. Saint-Exupéry admits to having no knowledge of the stars but reveals that looking at them makes him dream, much like staring at dots on a map. He questions why the captivating stars in the sky are not as accessible as the mundane locations marked on a map. This provokes reflection on our mortal condition; while alive, we cannot physically reach the stars just as we cannot take a train to a star after death.
Topics
Dreams
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