A mighty pain to love it is,_x000D_ _x000D_ And 'tis a pain that pain to miss;_x000D_ _x000D_ But, of all pains, the greatest pain_x000D_ _x000D_ Is to love, but love in vain.
Abraham CowleyRead
Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise,_x000D_ _x000D_ He who defers this work from day to day,_x000D_ _x000D_ Does on a river's bank expecting stay,_x000D_ _x000D_ Till the whole stream, which stopped him, should be gone,_x000D_ _x000D_ That runs, and as it runs, for ever will run on.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Take risks and act decisively to gain wisdom, as procrastination only leads to missed opportunities.
This quote emphasizes the importance of taking initiative and embracing boldness in pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. It suggests that procrastination, represented by the image of someone waiting by a river, only leads to further inaction and missed chances to grow and learn. Cowley's words remind us that we must actively engage with life and seize opportunities as they come, or risk letting them pass by forever.
Themes
WisdomBoldnessProcrastinationOpportunityAction
In practice
Example use cases
These words can motivate students to take their studies seriously and avoid procrastination.
More from Abraham Cowley
All quotes →Ah! Wretched and too solitary he who loves not his own company.
Abraham CowleyRead
May I a small house and large garden have; And a few friends, And many books, both true.
Abraham CowleyRead
Similar quotes
Luck, bad if not good, will always be with us. But it has a way of favoring the intelligent and showing its back to the stupid.
John DeweyRead
Who can calculate the wounds inflicted, their depth and pain, by harsh and mean words spoken in anger? How pitiful a sight is a man who is strong in many ways but who loses all control of himself when some little thing, usually of no significant consequence, disturbs his equanimity.
Gordon B. HinckleyRead
For the warrior, there is no "better" or "worse"; everyone has the necessary gifts for his particular path.
Paulo CoelhoRead
We have a lot of anxieties, and one cancels out another very often.
Winston ChurchillRead
Appreciation has become my destiny in life. Perhaps it's the instinct of a polar bear enjoying hibernation in the vast snows.
Liu XiaoboRead
Most people are so distracted by their thoughts, so identified with the voices in their heads, they no longer feel the aliveness within them. To be unable to feel the life that animates the physical body, the very life that you are, is the greatest deprivation that can happen to you.
Eckhart TolleRead