INSPIRED BY A VINTAGE EDITION OF ANNA KARENINA

Hello, there! In this post, I'll mix up fashion and art, books and style (as usual, you might say). Recently I have acquired a copy of Anna Karenina in Italian. I picked it up in my favourite vintage book shop in Split. More about that later, let's talk about the location and the outfit for a second. How do you like this styling? Looking at it now, it's giving me feminine vintage vibes. I just love its earthy colour palette. It matches the vintage cover quite nicely! I wasn't going for a full historical look, but my outfit is mostly vintage, as I will soon explain in more detail soon.

The location is restaurant Romanca in Mostar. How many times I have posted photographs from this restaurant? I've truly lost count, but I'm pretty sure January 2024 was the last time. I think it's the unique location of Romanca restaurant that appeals to me. This restaurant is located within a vineyard. It creates a wonderful atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Moreover, the panorama is absolutely beautiful. I've always loved a place with a view. This digital place to call my own has featured many wonderful views!

SUSTAINABLE FASHION FILES

HOW TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE IN YOUR FASHION CHOICES?

Well, you cannot go wrong with shopping your closet, wearing vintage and supporting local designers/artisans. That's what I did in this outfit!

HOW I WORE IT BEFORE? CLICK THE LINKS AND FIND OUT

THE MINT BLAZER- VINTAGE 

I absolutely love this vintage mint blazer that I inherited from my mother. It looks fantastic worn with anything, from jeans to evening gowns! I wish I could wear it to work, but this year we have a black and white dress code. The reason why I choose it for this particular styling is because it matched the Ozz teagreen blouse so well. However, I realized that I really like how it looked with the midi skirt as well (and the heels).

1) https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2019/08/8-ways-to-style-white-ruffled-tunics.html

Back in 2019, I shared a look with this mint blazer and a white tunics. 

2) https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/12/fashion-illustration-friday-mint-blazer.html

Back in 2021, I illustrated this vintage mint blazer. 

A WATERCOLOUR ILLUSTRATION: A VINTAGE MINT BLAZER- This is a quick watercolour sketch of my outfit. I wore this outfit maybe two weeks ago, when it was still sunny and warm. I love this vintage mint blazer. If I remember well, it's an inherited item.

3) https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/05/what-i-wore-six-outfits-one-bag.html

One more post from 2021. This post features six outfits and one of them includes this mint blazer.

4) https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2013/04/todays-outfitdanasnja-odjevna.html

Back in 2013, I styled this vintage blazer with fun tights, a mini skirt and a white shirt.

5) https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/07/45-ways-to-style-plastic-yellow-bag.html

Back in 2021, I browsed my archives to find 45 ways to style a yellow bag. Among those outfits, I found another styling with this mint blazer. 

THE MIDI SKIRT- VINTAGE (HANDMADE, NO LABEL)- My sister-in-law gifted me this skirt. It was handmade so no label. It's simply perfect for unpredictable spring weather, because keeps me warm but still feels breezy. It's a breathable and stylish item that I love to wear with heels for an elongated look. The waist is adjustable, but I like to wear it higher up. I think I did a good job with opting to wear it with this look because it matched the earthy tones in the beige bag and leopard heels quite well.

1) https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-to-style-midi-skirt-for-winter.html

In this post, I shared how I styled this midi skirt for the first time. I don't have a lot of published posts with this skirt, but I do wear it. It's a very comfy piece and I like the colour. 

THE LEOPARD HEELS (NO NAME)- 30 PLUS WEARS ON THIS BLOG!

I have tons of documented wears with this pair of leopard heels. They are surprisingly comfortable. When it comes to sustainable fashion, people often advise us that we invest in classic pieces we will wear often. However, what is classic?  For me, leopard print is classic. For someone else, it might be another thing completely. To be sustainable, you have to find your own classics. As they say, find your own definition of success!

Check out this post if you want to find more styling inspiration-  17 WAYS TO STYLE LEOPARD HEELS

PLUS THERE ARE MORE POSTS- I HAVE WORN THESE HEELS PLUS 30 TIMES!

MORE WAYS TO STYLE THIS PAIR OF LEOPARD HEELS: 

18) WITH A PENCIL BLUE SKIRT, A GREY BLAZER AND A STRAW BAG

19)WITH A DRESS, A COLORFUL CARDI AND MAGENTA COAT

20) WITH A STRIPED SKIRT AND A WHITE SHIRT

21) WITH A GREY SUIT

22) WITH NAVY BLUE PANTS AND A MUSTARD SWEATER

23) WITH BURGUNDY TIGHTS AND AN A LINE LBD

24) WITH FLARE JEANS, AN INDIAN STYLE BAG AND A FLORAL SHIRT

25) WITH A WHITE FOLKLORE SHIRT AND A FLORAL SHIRT

26) WITH A BLUE SKIRT, BURGUNDY TIGHTS AND A FLORAL SHIRT

27) WITH STANKA ZOVKO LILAC DRESS, COLOURFUL CARDI AND A GREY BLAZER

28) WITH A WHITE CHERRY DRESS AND BURGUNDY TIGHTS

29) WITH A BLACK BLAZER AND MOCCASINS 

30) WITH A FLORAL SKIRT, OLIVE BLAZER AND A BEIGE COAT

31) WITH A BLUE HIPPIE DRESS WITH LACE DETAILS

32) WITH A TEA GREEN SET (MATCHING BLOUSE AND PANTS) FROM STANKA ZOVKO 

THE LAST TIME I WORE THIS PAIR WAS A FEW DAYS AGO

33) https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2024/05/daindy-by-jan-guillou-book-review.html

STANKA ZOVKO TEAGREEN BLOUSE - FASHION BRAND OZZ (LOCAL DESIGNER)

This blouse is actually a part of a set. Follow the links to see other ways to style it. 

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-matching-tea-green-set-from-designer.html

https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2023/08/a-tale-of-love-and-darkness-novel-by.html

Ozz is a local brand founded and run by fashion designer Stanka Zovko.

If you want to see more outfits featuring items from this brand, you're welcome to check the links below. 

1. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/02/fashion-illustration-friday-stanka.html

2. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/09/farewell-to-summer-from-mostar-city.html

3. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/09/book-review-and-recommendation.html

4. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/12/goodbye-2021-welcome-year-2022.html

5. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2022/04/ozz-students-fashion-show-under.html

6. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-matching-tea-green-set-from-designer.html

7. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2013/03/modna-revija-stanke-zovko-fashion-show.html

8. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/11/mirko-kovac-grad-u-zrcalu-obiteljski.html

9. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/12/5-december-outfits-mini-fashion-recap.html

10. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2013/10/fashion-show-stanka-zovko-modna-revija.html

11. https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-book-review-blackberry-wine-by-joanne.html

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS OUTFIT?

DO YOU LIKE IT? 

WOULD YOU WEAR SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

I felt very feminine, lady like, comfortable and stylish in this outfit. Who says that you cannot have the best of both worlds? I love styling skirts! Looking at these photographs, I see that I kind of avoided the colour black. Sometimes I will opt for an all black outfit, but I really like to have fun with colours. Sometimes I opt for bright, lively colours and sometimes for earthy, neutral ones. Colours are fun!

HOW MANY COPIES OF ANNA KARENINA DOES ONE NEED?

 How many copies of Anna Karenina do I have? Probably too many to count! I have several classical hardcover in Croatian and now I also have a copy in Italian. When I started reading this edition, I realized that the first chapter is missing. Perhaps it's a shorter edition or something, not that it matters. I have enough Anna Karenina copies! I really like this vintage book and I'm happy to have another book in Italian in my library. I need to read in Italian or I'll forget it.

My Italian is stuck somewhere between B1 and B2 level. This often happens to language learners. You get stuck at a certain level. Just because I'm a language teacher doesn't mean I'm immune to language learning struggles.

 I know enough Italian to read and communicate in it, but I'm still far from fluent. The same could be said for my Russian. I need to find time to work on my language skills. The problem is that I spend my days talking and teaching English. It's hard to make time for other languages! However, I try to read in other languages besides English, so I can keep up my foreign language skills at a decent level.

Does the cover look anything like my outfit? What do you think?

FREE PDF OF ANNA KARENINA IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES

ANNA KARENINA- A DUAL FREE PDF IN ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN (SIDE BY SIDE SO YOU CAN STUDY THE LANGUAGE!

ANNA KARENINA IN ENGLISH ON PROJECT GUTENBERG 

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

PART FOUR

PART FIVE

PART SIX

PART SEVEN

PART EIGHT

ANNA KARENINA IN ITALIANO- FREE PDF

ANA KARENJINA NA HRVATSKOM PDF

ANNA KARENINA, A BOOK THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET

What a novel this is! Rightfully called a classic, it's both a touching psychological portrayal and a social commentary of its time. Anna Karenina is not only one of Tolstoy's best known works, it's one of best known novels of all times. It regularly ends on 'best novels' and 'must read'  lists. 

 PART FIRST 

" Vengeance is mine, I will repay " 

This is how the novel opens. Tolstoy warns the reader not to judge! Sometimes I think all the great books are about that- opening our eyes and warning us against being judgmental. Think of The Great Gatsby and its opening chapter. Reserving judgements is a matter of infinite hope, as Fitzgerald so eloquently put it.  In case you didn't know, I love this quote so much... and of course I reviewed Fitzgerald as well- https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/2016/10/for-love-of-readingwhat-is-so-great.html

THE OPENING OF ANNA KARENINA IS ONE THE BEST FIRST CHAPTERS EVER!

I think this novel wins the award for the best opening sentence. That quote about happy families being all alike is something I often think of. I mean have a look at this first chapter (if you already haven't) and tell me whether or not it's absolutely brilliant: 

CHAPTER I 

ALL happy families resemble one another; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. All was confusion in the house of the Oblonskys. The wife had discovered that her husband was having an intrigue with a French governess who had been in their employ, and she declared that she could not live in the same house with him. This condition of things had lasted now three days, and was causing deep dis- comfort, not only to the husband and wife, but also to all the members of the family and the domestics. All the members of the family and the domestics felt that there was no sense in their living together, and that in any hotel people meeting casually had more mutual interests than they, the members of the family and the domestics of the house of Oblonsky.....

The author manages to convey the atmosphere of domestic chaos so perfectly! Moreover, he does some foreshadowing. The novel opens up with adultery- foreshadowing another affair that is to come. However, the other affair will be something quite different! This affair is of a more typical one. Tolstoy doesn't demonize the adulterer, but he also doesn't paint him in a flattering light. It's clear that prince Stepan is a self-indulgent and selfish (even if he is somewhat kind-hearted) creature. 

Prince Stepan's eyes flashed gayly and he smiled as he said to himself : — " Yes, it was very good, very good. There was something extremely elegant about it, but you can't tell it in words, and when you are awake you can't express the reality even in thought." Then, as he noticed a ray of sunlight which came in at the side of one of the heavy window-curtains, he gayly set his feet down from the divan, found his gilt morocco slippers — they had been embroidered for him by his wife the year before as a birthday present — and, according to an old custom which he had kept up for nine years, he, without rising, stretched out his hand to the place where in his chamber hung his dressing-gown. And then he suddenly remembered how and why he had been sleeping, not in his wife's chamber, but in the library; the smile vanished from his face and he frowned. " Akh ! akh ! akh ! akh ! " he groaned, as he recollected everything that had occurred. And before his mind arose once more all the details of the quarrel with his wife, all the hopelessness of his situation, and most lamentable of all, his own fault. " No ! she will not and she cannot forgive me. And what is the worst of it, 't was my own fault — my own fault, and yet I am not to blame. 

THUS ANNA IS SUMMONED ....

"Thank God!" said Matvey, showing by this response that he, like his master, realized the significance of this arrival--that is, that Anna Arkadyevna, the sister he was so fond of, might bring about a reconciliation between husband and wife.

DOLLY IS ANOTHER FEMALE CHARACTER TOLSTOY'S DRAWS WITH CARE

Dolly, prince Stephan's wife is a women greatly pained by her husband's infidelity. Tolstoy's seems to take her side in matters. In general, Tolstoy's seems to be sympathetic about the female position:

In a rapid glance she scanned his figure that beamed with health and freshness. "Yes, he is happy and content!" she thought; "while I.... And that disgusting good nature, which every one likes him for and praises--I hate that good nature of his," she thought. Her mouth stiffened, the muscles of the cheek contracted on the right side of her pale, nervous face.
"What do you want?" she said in a rapid, deep, unnatural voice.
"Dolly!" he repeated, with a quiver in his voice. "Anna is coming today."
"Well, what is that to me? I can't see her!" she cried.
"But you must, really, Dolly..."

"Go away, go away, go away!" she shrieked, not looking at him, as though this shriek were called up by physical pain.
Stepan Arkadyevitch could be calm when he thought of his wife, he could hope that she would _come round_, as Matvey expressed it, and could quietly go on reading his paper and drinking his coffee; but when he saw her tortured, suffering face, heard the tone of her voice, submissive to fate and full of despair, there was a catch in his breath and a lump in his throat, and his eyes began to shine with tears.

THE WRITER TELLS US MORE ABOUT  PRINCE STEPHEN, ANNA'S BROTHER

While it seems that Tolstoy first sides with Dolly, his portrayal of Stepan is not a negative one. In fact, he's portrayal as a likeable man, who in many ways, has a kind heart. In his adultery, there's no malice, it seems like he's not able to help himself. However, one still feels that the writer critizes him, especially as he elaborates on the unhappiness that Stephen's (Stepan) actions caused. However, as the novel progresses, the writer gives us more information not just about Anna's brother, but about the Moscow's society of the time. 

Stepan Arkadyevitch had learned easily at school, thanks to his excellent abilities, but he had been idle and mischievous, and therefore was one of the lowest in his class. But in spite of his habitually dissipated mode of life, his inferior grade in the service, and his comparative youth, he occupied the honorable and lucrative position of president of one of the government boards at Moscow. This post he had received through his sister Anna’s husband, Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin, who held one of the most important positions in the ministry to whose department the Moscow office belonged. But if Karenin had not got his brother-in-law this berth, then through a hundred other personages—brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, and aunts—Stiva Oblonsky would have received this post, or some other similar one, together with the salary of six thousand absolutely needful for him, as his affairs, in spite of his wife’s considerable property, were in an embarrassed condition.

Half Moscow and Petersburg were friends and relations of Stepan Arkadyevitch. He was born in the midst of those who had been and are the powerful ones of this world. One-third of the men in the government, the older men, had been friends of his father’s, and had known him in petticoats; another third were his intimate chums, and the remainder were friendly acquaintances. Consequently the distributors of earthly blessings in the shape of places, rents, shares, and such, were all his friends, and could not overlook one of their own set; and Oblonsky had no need to make any special exertion to get a lucrative post. He had only not to refuse things, not to show jealousy, not to be quarrelsome or take offense, all of which from his characteristic good nature he never did. It would have struck him as absurd if he had been told that he would not get a position with the salary he required, especially as he expected nothing out of the way; he only wanted what the men of his own age and standing did get, and he was no worse qualified for performing duties of the kind than any other man.

ANNA KARENINA ARRIVES TO SOLVE THE DOMESTIC MESS BUT IT'S ONLY THE START OF HER STORY....

Anna only truly appears in chapter 18 when she meets Vronsky. 

Vronsky followed the guard to the carriage, and at the door of the compartment he stopped short to make room for a lady who was getting out.

With the insight of a man of the world, from one glance at this lady’s appearance Vronsky classified her as belonging to the best society. He begged pardon, and was getting into the carriage, but felt he must glance at her once more; not that she was very beautiful, not on account of the elegance and modest grace which were apparent in her whole figure, but because in the expression of her charming face, as she passed close by him, there was something peculiarly caressing and soft. As he looked round, she too turned her head. Her shining gray eyes, that looked dark from the thick lashes, rested with friendly attention on his face, as though she were recognizing him, and then promptly turned away to the passing crowd, as though seeking someone. In that brief look Vronsky had time to notice the suppressed eagerness which played over her face, and flitted between the brilliant eyes and the faint smile that curved her red lips. It was as though her nature were so brimming over with something that against her will it showed itself now in the flash of her eyes, and now in her smile. Deliberately she shrouded the light in her eyes, but it shone against her will in the faintly perceptible smile.

Vronsky stepped into the carriage. His mother, a dried-up old lady with black eyes and ringlets, screwed up her eyes, scanning her son, and smiled slightly with her thin lips. Getting up from the seat and handing her maid a bag, she gave her little wrinkled hand to her son to kiss, and lifting his head from her hand, kissed him on the cheek.

.....

“Good-bye, Ivan Petrovitch. And could you see if my brother is here, and send him to me?” said the lady in the doorway, and stepped back again into the compartment.

“Well, have you found your brother?” said Countess Vronskaya, addressing the lady.

Vronsky understood now that this was Madame Karenina.

“Your brother is here,” he said, standing up. “Excuse me, I did not know you, and, indeed, our acquaintance was so slight,” said Vronsky, bowing, “that no doubt you do not remember me.”

“Oh, no,” said she, “I should have known you because your mother and I have been talking, I think, of nothing but you all the way.” As she spoke she let the eagerness that would insist on coming out show itself in her smile. “And still no sign of my brother.”

“Do call him, Alexey,” said the old countess. Vronsky stepped out onto the platform and shouted:

“Oblonsky! Here!”

Madame Karenina, however, did not wait for her brother, but catching sight of him she stepped out with her light, resolute step. And as soon as her brother had reached her, with a gesture that struck Vronsky by its decision and its grace, she flung her left arm around his neck, drew him rapidly to her, and kissed him warmly. Vronsky gazed, never taking his eyes from her, and smiled, he could not have said why. But recollecting that his mother was waiting for him, he went back again into the carriage.

“She’s very sweet, isn’t she?” said the countess of Madame Karenina. “Her husband put her with me, and I was delighted to have her. We’ve been talking all the way. And so you, I hear ... vous filez le parfait amour. Tant mieux, mon cher, tant mieux.”

“I don’t know what you are referring to, maman,” he answered coldly. “Come, maman, let us go.”

Madame Karenina entered the carriage again to say good-bye to the countess.

“Well, countess, you have met your son, and I my brother,” she said. “And all my gossip is exhausted. I should have nothing more to tell you.”

“Oh, no,” said the countess, taking her hand. “I could go all around the world with you and never be dull. You are one of those delightful women in whose company it’s sweet to be silent as well as to talk. Now please don’t fret over your son; you can’t expect never to be parted.”

Madame Karenina stood quite still, holding herself very erect, and her eyes were smiling.

“Anna Arkadyevna,” the countess said in explanation to her son, “has a little son eight years old, I believe, and she has never been parted from him before, and she keeps fretting over leaving him.”

“Yes, the countess and I have been talking all the time, I of my son and she of hers,” said Madame Karenina, and again a smile lighted up her face, a caressing smile intended for him.

“I am afraid that you must have been dreadfully bored,” he said, promptly catching the ball of coquetry she had flung him. But apparently she did not care to pursue the conversation in that strain, and she turned to the old countess.

“Thank you so much. The time has passed so quickly. Good-bye, countess.”

“Good-bye, my love,” answered the countess. “Let me have a kiss of your pretty face. I speak plainly, at my age, and I tell you simply that I’ve lost my heart to you.”

Stereotyped as the phrase was, Madame Karenina obviously believed it and was delighted by it. She flushed, bent down slightly, and put her cheek to the countess’s lips, drew herself up again, and with the same smile fluttering between her lips and her eyes, she gave her hand to Vronsky. He pressed the little hand she gave him, and was delighted, as though at something special, by the energetic squeeze with which she freely and vigorously shook his hand. She went out with the rapid step which bore her rather fully-developed figure with such strange lightness.

WHAT NOVELS COULD WE COMPARE ANNA KARENINA WITH?

When I wrote about Lady Chatterley's Lover, I stated that could be compared with Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and Flaubert's Madame Bovary.  I do still agree with that comparison. Both novels feature a heroine that married young and sought and/or found extramarital love. Another example that comes to my mind is Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening. Chopin's heroine resembles Constance more than Anna or Emma. Constance seems to be more sensual and rational than Anna or Emma, who in comparison seem more romantic and sensitive. 

When it comes to classics, I would say that (from those I read) there are three comparable novels: 1)  Flaubert's Madame Bovary

2) Lady Chatterley's Lover by DH Lawrence 

3) Kate Chopin's novel The Awakening

4) Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

“What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness.”

“Something magical has happened to me: like a dream when one feels frightened and creepy, and suddenly wakes up to the knowledge that no such terrors exist. I have wakened up.”

“He soon felt that the fulfillment of his desires gave him only one grain of the mountain of happiness he had expected. This fulfillment showed him the eternal error men make in imagining that their happiness depends on the realization of their desires.”

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

A MASTERPIECE WORTH REREADING!

Anna Karenina is a masterpiece. It's simply one of those perfect novels. That is what I thought when I first read it at the tender age of 15 and my opinion of it hasn't changed the slightest. 

Some books just stay with you! I still remember how moved I was by the story when I first read it. I remember how every description of her has lingered in my mind-up to this very day. I remember illustrations I used to make of Anna Karenina. I'm so mesmerized by this book. Every reading experience had been such an intense reading experience for me. I wasn't the only one. Most of my classmates were into Anna Karenina back then too- and many of them still are, just like myself.

“I think... if it is true that
there are as many minds as there
are heads, then there are as many
kinds of love as there are hearts.”
 Anna Karenina

What is the genius of Anna Karenina? This novel definitely has a lot of literary merit, from an excellent portrayal of both Russian society and individuals to its more philosophical parts and spiritual dilemmas. While it is true that on a second (and third and etc.) reading, I noticed some new details and with years one naturally develops more opinions and views on things, I perhaps prefer that first reading because that is when I felt the closest to the novel and to Anna herself. The first reading is something like the first kiss, a magical experience that cannot be repeated.

“Anna spoke not only naturally and intelligently, but intelligently and casually, without attaching any value to her own thoughts, yet giving great value to the thoughts of the one she was talking to.”

There is something very universal about this novel, sometimes very human at its core, something that touches us on a very emotional level.  Personally, I think that Tolstoy deserves even more attention and merit than he gets. It saddens me to see that some literary critics call this novel anti-feminist. If anything this is a novel that supports women. 

As the title would suggest, this is first and foremost a novel about a woman! In my view, it is not just Anna that Tolstoy's describes warmly and intimately, the other female characters are created with feeling and care as well. I once wrote an essay about the characterization of female characters in Anna Karenina a few years ago and I really enjoyed writing it.

Tolstoy admits in one of his letters that he has fallen in love with Anna while writing the novel. Perhaps Tolstoy didn't plan to take her side. However, he did and it made all the difference. It is ironical then that The Awakening (a novel that is basically a rip-off of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina- a good rip-off though- I'm quite fond of it) that has its own literal value but a rip-off nevertheless), should be considered a feminist novel and Tolstoy anti-feminist. Long story short, the portrayal of Anna Karenina, the protagonist of this novel, is beautifully done.

I lost count of how much times I've reread Anna Karenina since that first reading. One can find faults in both Anna and Vronsky, accuse them of selfishness and what not, but at its core the love and the passion they felt for one another feels real enough. If love ends, it doesn't mean it wasn't true while it lasted. All things must come to an end, one way or another. Sad love stories can be quite inspiring and romantic in their own right. 

“But that had been grief--this was joy. Yet that grief and this joy were alike outside all the ordinary conditions of life; they were loopholes, as it were, in that ordinary life through which there came glimpses of something sublime. And in the contemplation of this sublime something the soul was exalted to inconceivable heights of which it had before had no conception, while reason lagged behind, unable to keep up with it.”

Thank you for reading and visiting!