O suffering, sad humanity! O ye afflicted ones, who lie Steeped to the lips in misery, Longing, yet afraid to die, Patient, though sorely tried!
I shot an arrow into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For, so swiftly it flew, the sight Could not follow it in its flight. I breathed a song into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For who has sight so keen and strong, That it can follow the flight of song? Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke; And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote speaks to the lasting impact of our words and actions, and how they resonate with others over time.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's quote reflects on the nature of creativity and connection. It illustrates how our thoughts and expressions, like arrows shot into the air, may not have an immediate destination or visible effect, but can ultimately land in the hearts of those we care about. The discovery of the unbroken arrow and the song in the heart of a friend symbolizes the enduring bonds and the profound influence of our words and emotions on others, emphasizing that true connections can transcend time and distance.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a friendship anniversary celebration to emphasize the importance of lasting connections.
More from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
All quotes →There are moments in life, when the heart is so full of emotion That if by chance it be shaken, or into its depths like a pebble Drops some careless word, it overflows, and its secret, Spilt on the ground like water, can never be gathered together.
Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.
To be seventy years old is like climbing the Alps. You reach a snow-crowned summit, and see behind you the deep valley stretching miles and miles away, and before you other summits higher and whiter, which you may have strength to climb, or may not. Then you sit down and meditate and wonder which it will be.
God is not dead; nor doth He sleep; ... _x000D_ The wrong shall fail,_x000D_ The right prevail,_x000D_ With peace on earth, good will to men.
In the long run men hit only what they aim at.
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No degree of knowledge attainable by man is able to set him above the want of hourly assistance, or to extinguish the desire of fond endearments and tender officiousness; and, therefore, no one should think it unnecessary to learn those arts by which friendship may be gained.
Since we don't know where we're going, we have to stick together in case someone gets there.
Grant us brotherhood, not only for this day but for all our years - a brotherhood not of words but of acts and deeds.
Under the magnetism of friendship the modest man becomes bold; the shy, confident; the lazy, active; and the impetuous, prudent and peaceful.
Beneath the blossoms with a pot of wine, No friends at hand, so I poured alone; I raised my cup to invite the moon, Turned to my shadow, and we became three.