They don't ask much of you. They only want you to hate the things you love and to love the things you despise.
Boris PasternakRead
Even so, one step from my grave,_x000D_ _x000D_ I believe that cruelty, spite,_x000D_ _x000D_ The powers of darkness will in time_x000D_ _x000D_ Be crushed by the spirit of light.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses hope that good will ultimately triumph over evil, even in the face of despair.
Boris Pasternak's quote conveys a profound belief in the inherent struggle between good and evil. Despite the looming presence of darkness and cruelty, the speaker holds onto the conviction that the 'spirit of light'—representing goodness and hope—will eventually overcome these negative forces. It speaks to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of maintaining faith in brighter days ahead, even during our most difficult times.
Themes
CrueltyDarknessLightHopeGoodness
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about overcoming adversity.
More from Boris Pasternak
All quotes →Even so, one step from my grave, I believe that cruelty, spite, The powers of darkness will in time, Be crushed by the spirit of light.
Boris PasternakRead
He is her glory. Any woman could say it. For every one of them, God is in her child. Mothers of great men must have been familiar with this feeling, but then, all women are mothers of great men -- it isn't their fault if life disappoints them later.
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Our evenings are farewells. Our parties are testaments. So that the secret stream of suffering. May warm the cold of life.
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The most extraordinary discoveries are made when the artist is overwhelmed by what he has to say.
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Oh, how one wishes sometimes to escape from the meaningless dullness of human eloquence, from all those sublime phrases, to take refuge in nature, apparently so inarticulate, or in the wordlessness of long, grinding labor, of sound sleep, of true music, or of a human understanding rendered speechless by emotion!
Boris PasternakRead
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