"In old age we are like a batch of letters that someone has sent. We are no longer in the past, we have arrived"

Knut Hamsun's quote, "In aging we resemble a batch of letters that someone has actually sent out. We are no longer in the past, we have actually arrived," is a profound metaphor that encapsulates the human journey through life, the passage of time, and the culmination of experiences. In this comparison, Hamsun draws a vibrant parallel in between the life course of a private and the journey of letters sent.

The images of "a batch of letters" symbolizes lives full of stories, messages, and experiences. Just as letters carry the ideas, dreams, and objectives of those who send them, individuals bear the marks and stories of their lived years. Each life, similar to a letter, is filled with personal history, lessons, feelings, and substantial moments that have been 'written' over the decades.

When Hamsun speaks of being "no longer in the past," it recommends the conclusion of a life's journey-- having actually traveled through numerous stages, similar to letters going through postal phases, from the sender (birth and youth), through the postal system (the adult years), to their final destination (aging). This implies a sense of completion or satisfaction. The past no longer stays a sphere of action or influence; it becomes a collection of memories and experiences that have shaped the present self.

Furthermore, the idea of having actually "arrived" in aging conveys a conclusion or settlement, where life's built up knowledge and viewpoint presume importance. It's a point of reflection where individuals, having traversed diverse paths, can pause and examine the journey they have carried out. Arrival represents both completion of physical travel through time and a mystical homecoming to oneself, where identity and essence are totally understood.

In essence, Hamsun is reflecting on the poignancy of aging, framing it not as a decrease, however as an arrival at an abundant, poignant understanding of life-- a final stop that requires resolute wisdom, a gathered sense of previous undertakings, and the awareness of having finished one's important journey.