A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
Now Eros makes a man really want, not a woman, but one particular woman. In some mysterious but quite indisputable fashion the lover desires the Beloved herself, not the pleasure she can give.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that true desire is for a specific person rather than for mere physical attraction or pleasure.
C. S. Lewis articulates the profound nature of love, suggesting that genuine affection is directed towards the essence of a specific individual, rather than the superficial aspects of a romantic relationship. The quote highlights the unique bond between the lover and the Beloved, implying that the lover's desire transcends mere physical attraction and instead encompasses the admiration and yearning for the entire being of that person.
Themes
LoveDesireConnectionBelovedAffection
In practice
Example use cases
During a wedding speech, one might reference this quote to express the depth of love between the partners.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes →I enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
C. S. LewisRead
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
C. S. LewisRead
Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
C. S. LewisRead
I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
C. S. LewisRead
The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
C. S. LewisRead
Similar quotes
As I gaze upon the sea! All the old romantic legends, all my dreams, come back to me.
Henry Wadsworth LongfellowRead
In contrast to a dream a reverie cannot be recounted. To be communicated, it must be written, written with emotion and taste, being relived all the more strongly because it is being written down. Here, we are touching the realm of written love. It is going out of fashion, but the benefits remain. There are still souls for whom love is the contact of two poetries, the fusion of two reveries.
Gaston BachelardRead
Now the fair goddess, Fortune,_x000D_ _x000D_ Fall deep in love with thee, and her great charms_x000D_ _x000D_ Misguide thy opposers' swords!
William ShakespeareRead
But love, I’ve come to understand, is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day.
Nicholas SparksRead
Most people need love and acceptance a lot more than they need advice.
Bob GoffRead
If you love someone, you say it, right then, out loud. Otherwise, the moment just passes you by.
Julia RobertsRead