When from our better selves we have too long been parted by the hurrying world, and droop. Sick of its business, of its pleasures tired, how gracious, how benign is solitude.
Interpretation
Solitude offers a much-needed refuge from the chaos of daily life, allowing a reconnection with our true selves.
In this quote, Wordsworth suggests that in the midst of life's distractions and constant busyness, we often lose touch with our authentic selves. Solitude provides a valuable opportunity to step away from the hustle and bustle, reflect, and rejuvenate our spirits, revealing the beauty and grace that such moments of silence can bring.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of mental health, one might quote Wordsworth to emphasize the need for personal time away from stress.
For mightier far_x000D_ _x000D_ Than strength of nerve or sinew, or the sway_x000D_ _x000D_ Of magic potent over sun and star,_x000D_ _x000D_ Is love, though oft to agony distrest,_x000D_ _x000D_ And though his favourite be feeble woman's breast.
By all means sometimes be alone; salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear; dare to look in thy chest; and tumble up and down what thou findest there.
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,_x000D_ _x000D_ The earth, and every common sight,_x000D_ _x000D_ To me did seem_x000D_ _x000D_ Apparelled in celestial light,_x000D_ _x000D_ The glory and the freshness of a dream.
Books are yours, Within whose silent chambers treasure lies Preserved from age to age; more precious far Than that accumulated store of gold And orient gems, which, for a day of need, The Sultan hides deep in ancestral tombs. These hoards of truth you can unlock at will.
The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers: Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune.
Shalt show us how divine a thing A woman may be made.
You cannot, and will not, encounter_x000D_ a circumstance, or a single moment,_x000D_ that does not serve directly and immediately _x000D_ the need of your soul to heal.
The moment people feel they know what to expect from you, your spell on them is broken. More: You have ceded them power.
The person who is truly effective has the humility and reverence to recognize his own perceptual limitations and to appreciate the rich resources available through interaction with the hearts and minds of other human beings.
Don't surrender all your joy for an idea you used to have about yourself that isn't true anymore.
That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
To get anywhere, or even to live a long time, a man has to guess, and guess right, over and over again, without enough data for a logical answer.
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