Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past

Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past

In the works of Willa Cather, the theme of memory and nostalgia often plays a central role. Cather's writing is imbued with a deep sense of longing for the past, for a time and a place that can never be fully recaptured. This sentiment is beautifully encapsulated in the quote, "Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past."

This quote speaks to the idea that even though we may have missed out on certain experiences or opportunities in life, we can still find solace and connection in the shared memories of the past. The past, in this sense, becomes a kind of treasure that we hold onto, a source of comfort and companionship in the present.

Cather's characters often find themselves grappling with the passage of time and the inevitability of change. They are haunted by memories of a bygone era, a time when life was simpler and more innocent. In novels such as "My Ántonia" and "O Pioneers!", Cather explores the ways in which the past shapes our identities and influences our relationships with others.

The idea of the incommunicable past is particularly poignant in Cather's work. It suggests that there are certain aspects of our memories and experiences that are so deeply personal and intimate that they cannot be fully shared or articulated to others. These are the moments that we hold close to our hearts, the memories that define who we are and how we see the world.