The first kiss is stolen by the man; the last is begged by the woman.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the dynamics of romantic relationships, highlighting how initial attraction can be impulsive while the end can be marked by longing.
H. L. Mencken's quote observes the contrasting behaviors of men and women in the context of romantic relationships, suggesting that the excitement of the first kiss is often driven by spontaneity and a certain assertiveness on the part of men. In contrast, by the time the relationship nears its end, it is the woman who finds herself pleading for emotional connection, reflecting a deeper vulnerability. This presents a commentary on the evolving nature of love and desire over time.
In practice
In a romantic speech during an anniversary, one might say, 'As Mencken observed, our love journey reflects both the thrill of our first kiss and the longing of our last.'
I know a good many men of great learning-that is, men born with an extraordinary eagerness and capacity to acquire knowledge. One and all, they tell me that they can't recall learning anything of any value in school. All that schoolmasters managed to accomplish with them was to test and determine the amount of knowledge that they had already acquired independently-and not infrequently the determination was made clumsily and inaccurately.
It takes a long while for a naturally trustful person to reconcile himself to the idea that after all God will not help him
It is the theory of all modern civilized governments that they protect and foster the liberty of the citizen; it is the practice of all of them to limit its exercise, and sometimes very narrowly.
The central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts.
The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy.
It is my conviction that no normal man ever fell in love, within the ordinary meaning of the term, after the age of thirty.
I used to say that if something happened to my mother, I wanted to die with her. That's because I loved her so much. I want to live so I can carry out the essence of what she has shown me: kindness and goodness.
Time is so old and love so brief, love is pure gold and time a thief. We're late, darling, we're late, The curtain descends, everything ends, too soon, too soon.
If I stopped loving Him, I would cease to believe in His love. If I loved God, then I would believe in His love for me. It's not enough to need it. We have to love first, and I don't know how. But I need it, how I need it.
Isn't it grand, isn't it good, that language has only one word for everything we associate with love - from utter sanctity to the most fleshly lust? The result is perfect clarity in ambiguity, for love cannot be disembodied even in its most sanctified forms, nor is it without sanctity even at its most fleshly. Love is always simply itself, both as a subtle affirmation of life and as the highest passion; love is our sympathy with organic life.
If a lover is wretched who invokes kisses of which he knows not the flavor, a thousand times more wretched is he who has had a taste of the flavor and then had it denied him.
The sky dreams of stars, the earth dreams of love.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.