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A blaze of love and extinction, was better than a lantern glimmer of the same which should last long years.
Thomas Hardy
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Intense love, even if short-lived, is preferable to a faint and enduring love.

In this quote, Thomas Hardy expresses the idea that a passionate and consuming love, despite its impermanence, holds more value than a weak, flickering love that drags on for many years. The metaphor of a 'blaze' and a 'lantern' contrasts the vibrancy of genuine emotions against the dullness of prolonged mediocrity, suggesting that depth of feeling surpasses longevity in relationships.

Themes

LovePassionIntensityRelationshipsEmotion

In practice

Example use cases

During a wedding speech, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of passionate love.

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Everybody must be managed. Queens must be managed. Kings must be managed, for men want managing almost as much as women, and that's saying a good deal.
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Because what's the use of learning that I am one of a long row only - finding out that there is set down in some old book somebody just like me, and to know that I shall only act her part; making me sad, that's all. The best is not to remember your nature and your past doings have been just like thousands' and thousands', and that your coming life and doings'll be like thousands' and thousands'.
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I wish I had never been born--there or anywhere else.
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Her affection for him was now the breath and life of Tess's being; it enveloped her as a photosphere, irradiated her into forgetfulness of her past sorrows, keeping back the gloomy spectres that would persist in their attempts to touch herβ€”doubt, fear, moodiness, care, shame. She knew that they were waiting like wolves just outside the circumscribing light, but she had long spells of power to keep them in hungry subjection there.
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The trees have inquisitive eyes, haven't they? -that is, seem as if they had. And the river says,-'Why do ye trouble me with your looks?' And you seem to see numbers of to-morrows just all in a line, the first of them the biggest and clearest, the others getting smaller and smaller as they stand further away; but they all seem very fierce and cruel and as if they said, 'I'm coming! Beware of me! Beware of me!
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