There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
T. S. EliotRead
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many, I had not thought death had undone so many.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the overwhelming nature of loss and mortality among a large group of people.
In this quote, T. S. Eliot presents a haunting image of a crowd crossing London Bridge, using it as a metaphor for the collective experience of grief and the pervasive presence of death. The phrase suggests that the sheer number of people suggests a deep connection to loss, emphasizing how death can affect not just individuals, but also communities as a whole, creating a profound sense of melancholy and reflection on the human condition.
Themes
CrowdDeathLossMortalityGrief
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about overcoming hardship, one might reflect on shared experiences of loss.
More from T. S. Eliot
All quotes βHalf of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them.
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I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
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If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
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For I have known them all already, known them allβ Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
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In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
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