It seemed to be a necessary ritual that he should prepare himself for sleep by meditating under the solemnity of the night sky... a mysterious transaction between the infinity of the soul and the infinity of the universe.
Victor HugoRead
To pay compliments to the one we love is the first method of caressing, a demi-audacity venturing. A compliment is something like a kiss through a veil.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Compliments serve as a gentle form of affection and intimacy in love.
Victor Hugo's quote emphasizes the significance of compliments in romantic relationships, portraying them as a subtle yet powerful form of affection. Just as a kiss can be intimate and revealing, giving compliments allows individuals to express their feelings and admiration for their partners while maintaining a layer of mystery, much like a kiss through a veil.
Themes
ComplimentsLoveAffectionIntimacyAdmiration
In practice
Example use cases
In a wedding speech, a friend might say, 'As Victor Hugo wisely noted, paying compliments is a beautiful way to express love.'
More from Victor Hugo
All quotes →When two mouths, made sacred by love, draw near to each other to create, it is impossible, that above that ineffable kiss there should not be a thrill in the immense mystery of the stars.
Victor HugoRead
At that moment of love, a moment when passion is absolutely silent under omnipotence of ecstasy, Marius, pure seraphic Marius, would have been more capable of visiting a woman of the streets than of raising Cosette’s dress above the ankle. Once on a moonlit night, Cosette stopped to pick up something from the ground, her dress loosened and revealed the swelling of her breasts. Marius averted his eyes.
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Thought is the work of the intellect, reverie is its self-indulgence. To substitute day-dreaming for thought is to confuse a poison with a source of nourishment.
Victor HugoRead
Taste is the common sense of genius.
Victor HugoRead
Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man.... Jean Valjean, my brother: you belong no longer to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!
Victor HugoRead
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