Perhaps it is the greatest grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.
Madeline MillerRead
We were like gods at the dawning of the world, & our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a profound connection and joy experienced in a relationship, likening it to divine feelings.
In this quote, Madeline Miller captures the euphoria and intensity of love, suggesting that in the early stages of a deep connection, individuals can feel almost transcendent, as if they possess a god-like joy that eclipses everything else. The image of being 'like gods at the dawning of the world' evokes a sense of wonder and new beginnings, focusing solely on the cherished bond shared with another person, enhancing the beauty and exclusivity of this love.
In practice
In a wedding speech, to highlight the divine feeling of love.
Perhaps it is the greatest grief, after all, to be left on earth when another is gone.
When I first started studying Greek, one of my absolute favorite parts was realizing that so many English words had these old, secret roots. Learning Greek was like being given a super-power: linguistic x-ray vision.
I found myself grinning until my cheeks hurt, my scalp prickling till I thought it might lift off my head. My tongue ran away from me, giddy with freedom. This, and this, and this, I said to him. I did not have to fear that I spoke too much. I did not have to worry that I was too slender, or too slow. This and this and this! I taught him how to skip stones, and he taught me how to carve wood. I could feel every nerve in my body, every brush of air against my skin.
I stopped watching for ridicule, the scorpion's tail hidden in his words. He said what he meant; he was puzzled if you did not. Some people might have mistaken this for simplicity. But is it not a sort of genius to cut always to the heart?
Chiron had said once that nations were the most foolish of mortal inventions. "No man is worth more than another, wherever he is from.
The question of sexual dominance can exist only in the nightmare of that soul which has armed itself, totally, against the possibility of the changing motion of conquest and surrender, which is love.
It means much to have loved, to have been happy, to have laid my hand on the living Garden, even for a day.
If I had time in a bottle, if words could make wishes come true, I'd save everyday for eternity passes. And then I would spend them with you.
There is no mistaking a real book when one meets it. It is like falling in love.
I turn all thorn then, but you come back again and make my thorniness fragrant and pink and petaled.
Love is an untamed force. When we try to control it, it destroys us. When we try to imprison it, it enslaves us. When we try to understand it, it leaves us feeling lost and confused.
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