We have done with Hope and Honour. we are lost to Love and Truth, We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung; And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth. God help us, for we knew the worst too young!
If I were hanged on the highest hill, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine! I know whose love would follow me still Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a deep and unconditional love from a mother that persists even in the face of death.
In this poignant quote by Rudyard Kipling, the speaker reflects on the profound bond between a mother and child. It conveys the idea that no matter the circumstances—no matter how dire or tragic—there is a mother's love that endures and provides solace. The imagery of being hanged on the highest hill emphasizes the ultimate sacrifice or despair, while the repeated invocation of 'Mother o' mine' underscores the deep emotional connection and unwavering support that a mother offers throughout life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech honoring mothers, this quote could be used to express gratitude for their unwavering love.
More from Rudyard Kipling
All quotes →Humble because of knowledge; mighty by sacrifice.
Hear and attend and listen; for this is what befell and be-happened and became and was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals were wild. The dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild -as wild as wild could be - and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself and all places were alike to him
I keep six honest serving men.
And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden, You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden.
Savings represent much more than mere money value. They are the proof that the saver is worth something in himself. Any fool can waste; any fool can muddle; but it takes something more of a man to save and the more he saves the more of a man he makes of himself. Waste and extravagance unsettle a man's mind for every crisis; thrift, which means some form of self-restraint, steadies it.
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We are pain and what cures pain, both. We are the sweet cold water and the jar that pours. I want to hold you close like a lute, so that we can cry out with loving. Would you rather throw stones at a mirror? I am your mirror and here are the stones.
Like everybody who is not in love, he thought one chose the person to be loved after endless deliberations and on the basis of particular qualities or advantages.
Love alone can explain the mysteries of Love.
Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.
How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with LOVE, and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts.
So every day So every day I was surrounded by the beautiful crying forth of the ideas of God, one of which was you.