Clap an extinguisher upon your irony if you are unhappily blessed with a vein of it.
Interpretation
This quote advises against expressing irony when one is feeling unhappy, suggesting that it can be unhelpful or detrimental.
Charles Lamb's quote encourages individuals who possess a tendency towards irony, especially in times of unhappiness, to suppress that inclination. The underlying message is that irony can often mask or trivialize genuine emotions and experiences, particularly feelings of sorrow or discontent. By 'clapping an extinguisher' on one's irony, Lamb suggests that embracing authenticity and sincerity might be more beneficial during difficult emotional times.
In practice
During a motivational speech about overcoming adversity, you can quote this to emphasize the importance of being genuine.
Thus, when the lamp that lighted The traveller at first goes out, He feels awhile benighted, And looks around in fear and doubt. But soon, the prospect clearing, By cloudless starlight on he treads, And thinks no lamp so cheering As that light which Heaven sheds.
As down in the sunless retreats of the ocean Sweet flowers are springing no mortal can see, So deep in my soul the still prayer of devotion, Unheard by the world, rises silent to Thee. As still to the star of its worship, though clouded, The needle points faithfully o'er the dim sea, So dark when I roam in this wintry world shrouded, The hope of my spirit turns trembling to Thee.
The most mortifying infirmity in human nature, to feel in ourselves, or to contemplate in another, is perhaps cowardice.
Oh, ever thus, from childhood's hour, I 've seen my fondest hopes decay; I never loved a tree or flower But 't was the first to fade away. I never nurs'd a dear gazelle, To glad me with its soft black eye, But when it came to know me well And love me, it was sure to die.
May my last breath be drawn through a pipe, and exhaled in a jest.
A pun is not bound by the laws which limit nicer wit. It is a pistol let off at the ear; not a feather to tickle the intellect.
Whenever you feel happiness it is always from the inner. Then mind immediately jumps in and takes control and says, 'It is because of me.' When you are in love, it is like death, you feel blissful. Immediately mind comes in and says, 'Okay, this is me, this is because of me.'
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
I mentioned the non-competitive spirit explicitly, because these days, excellence is a fashionable concept. But excellence is a competitive notion, and that is not what we are heading for: we are heading for perfection.
Become slower in your journey through life. Practice yoga and meditation if you suffer from 'hurry sickness.' Become more introspective by visiting quiet places such as churches, museums, mountains and lakes. Give yourself permission to read at least one novel a month for pleasure.
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
All you earnest young men out to save the world. . . please, have a laugh.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.