The quotation describes the early stage of falling in love as a period of continual discovery. Small encounters and gestures acquire unusual significance because each seems to reveal something new about the other person. A glance or brief meeting can therefore become a source of lasting pleasure, not because of its scale but because of the meaning attached to it.

The emphasis is also on anticipation. At the beginning of a relationship, much remains unknown, so affection is accompanied by possibility, curiosity and imagination. Each encounter can add to an expanding picture of the person who is loved. Within Either/Or, this attention to novelty also reflects the work’s wider interest in how desire responds to newness and expectation. The quotation captures the particular intensity of early romantic experience, when limited knowledge can make even ordinary moments feel fresh and emotionally significant.