I trod heaven in my thoughts, now exulting in my powers, now burning with the idea of their effects.
Letters, Walton, _in continuation._ · Victor Frankenstein
Context
Victor recalls the ecstatic ambition he felt while creating the creature, describing how his imagination oscillated between pride in his abilities and anticipation of the results.
Analysis
The verb 'trod heaven' literalizes metaphor—Victor didn't just feel proud, he walked on heaven itself, collapsing the distance between human and divine. The parallel structure 'now exulting... now burning' creates a rhythm of alternation that mirrors the psychological swings between godlike power and dangerous obsession, showing ambition as unstable and consuming rather than steady or rational.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Victor's ambition was always self-intoxicating rather than altruistic—this quote shows him fixated on his own emotional highs ('exulting,' 'burning') with no mention of the creature's welfare or humanity's benefit.