As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Come my spade. There is no ancient gentlemen but gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they hold up Adam's profession.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the humble yet essential roles of those who work with the earth, emphasizing the value of their labor.
In this quote from Shakespeare, the speaker highlights that the roles of gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers are fundamental to human existence, connecting them to the original duty of Adam to cultivate the earth. It suggests that the most profound professions are often those that are overlooked, yet they are vital for sustaining life and honoring the cycle of existence.
Themes
GardeningLaborExistenceProfessionHumility
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of manual labor, one might quote this to emphasize respect for all professions.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead
Similar quotes
When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people. It is excessively boring.
Oscar WildeRead
The cynic says, "One man can't do anything". I say, "Only one man can do anything."
John W. GardnerRead
That which you do not bring to consciousness comes to you as your Fate, that which you do bring to consciousness, whether it was what you thought you wanted or not, is your destiny.
Carl JungRead
If you try to create a type, you may end with nothing. If you do a good job of creating an individual, you may succeed at creating a type.
F. Scott FitzgeraldRead
You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.
Samuel JohnsonRead
Entropy is the normal state of consciousness - a condition that is neither useful nor enjoyable.
Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiRead