They don't ask much of you. They only want you to hate the things you love and to love the things you despise.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the profound connection between motherhood and the potential greatness of children, highlighting the intrinsic value women bring through their roles as mothers.
In this quote, Boris Pasternak emphasizes the sacred bond between mothers and their children, suggesting that every woman carries within her the potential for raising remarkable individuals. It reflects the idea that the essence of God exists in the child, showcasing a deep spiritual connection that transcends disappointment in life, reminding us that every woman has the capacity for greatness through her offspring.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech celebrating women's contributions to society, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of mothers in shaping future leaders.
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.
Our evenings are farewells. Our parties are testaments. So that the secret stream of suffering. May warm the cold of life.
The most extraordinary discoveries are made when the artist is overwhelmed by what he has to say.
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!
They loved each other, not driven by necessity, by the "blaze of passion" often falsely ascribed to love. They loved each other because everything around them willed it, the trees and the clouds and the sky over their heads and the earth under their feet.
Similar quotes
My father always wanted to be 'Col-bear.' He lived in the same town as his father, and his father didn't like the idea of the name with the French pronunciation. So my father said to us, 'Do what you want. You're not going to offend anybody.' And he was dead long before I made my decision.
You parents of the wilful and the wayward! Don't give them up. Don't cast them off. They are not utterly lost. The Shepherd will find his sheep. They were His before they were yours - long before He entrusted them to your care; and you cannot begin to love them as He loves them.
A Mother who radiates self-love and self-acceptance actually VACCINATES her daughter against low self-esteem.
When mother is happy, family is happy. When family is happy, nation is happy.
I had a wonderful father, and I couldn't bear that television virtually ignored black fathers.
Through Nic's drug addiction, I have learned that parents can bear almost anything....I shock myself with my ability to rationalize and tolerate things once unthinkable. The rationalizations escalate....It's only marijuana. He gets high only on weekends. At least he's not using hard drugs.