When this post goes up, it’s highly likely (since I’m on holiday) that I will be lolling about on the sand, looking upon the glorious Pacific Ocean, basking under the sun on the central coast of California, and LIVING MY BEST LIFE. I cannot even begin to describe how much I LOVE THE SEA. As I’ve grown up, my love for it has only intensified, especially over the last 3 or 4 years. It’s one of my dreams to live in a coastal town. Oh, to be so near the crash and fall of the waves!
I sort of pride myself on my descriptive writing of scenes of nature. Right now, all of that has flown out the window, and it seems as though my mind has gone speechless, even as I merely sit and ponder the glories of the ocean. (To be fair, I have written some [descriptive] journal entries as I have sat by the ocean, and those were pretty good, in my humble opinion. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll share those sometime.) Because of this, I thought I’d compile a list of some of my most favourite quotes that relate to the sea, salt, sand, spray, and sun. Most of these are literary in nature, but one of them is musical. In any case, I hope you can appreciate these beautiful words as much as I do.
And oh, the cry of the
seagulls! Have you heard it? Can you remember?C. S. Lewis, from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
I love, love, love this quote. It’s something that comes to me when I long to be near the ocean, when it’s been a few months since I was there, and when my aching for summer and the sea is at its most intense. It recalls a nostalgia that is unique to each person that hears/reads it. This is written towards the end of the book when the Pevensie siblings are about to be crowned kings and queens at the great, oceanside palace of Cair Paravel.
Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
If this is not my motto for the summer months, or for my desire to live near the ocean, I don’t know what is. It perfectly sums up what summer is all about, in my opinion. There seems to be an underlying theme of adventure and spontaneity in this as well, and that’s also incredibly synonymous with summer.
The cure for anything is saltwater: sweat, tears, or the sea.
Isak Dinesen
Is this not so true?! A good cry, a hard run, or an enthusiastic dip in the ocean can alleviate much of the overwhelming feelings we experience from time to time.
When I’m on your shore again, I can feel the ocean / I can feel your open arms, That pure emotion / I’m finally free again, Like my own explosion… Saltwater running through my veins like a blind spot / Like I got caught, Saltwater like a teardrop / With my Saltwater Heart, oh…
Switchfoot, from the song “Saltwater Heart”
This has been one of my absolute favourite Switchfoot songs since this album came out in 2014. I put it on my playlist every July, and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it. Music is one of the most blissful, intoxicating mediums of art that exist in this world. The feelings of joy, happiness, and content that come to me when I listen to this song are some of the dearest in my life. (If you have a song like this that you’re willing to share, I’d love to hear what it is!!)
To the sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying, The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying. West, west away, the round sun is falling. Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling…
Legolas Greenleaf, from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (J. R. R. Tolkien)
This beautiful piece of writing comes from an even longer stanza wherein Legolas speaks of where his people have gone, beyond the Anduin, beyond the Sea. It’s one of my favourite pieces of Elvish poetry. Those first two lines are so sweet and so indicative of my own longing to be near the sea. Ahhhh, I just can’t get enough Tolkien :’)
I hope you enjoyed these sea-related quotes! Which one was your fav?? I’d love to hear it hehe. Thank you for reading <3