Heart, we will forget him, You and I, tonight! You must forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light.
Emily DickinsonRead
Love can do all but raise the Dead I doubt if even that From such a giant were withheld Were flesh equivalent But love is tired and must sleep, And hungry and must graze And so abets the shining Fleet Till it is out of gaze.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the powerful yet limited nature of love, suggesting that while love can achieve many things, it has its own needs and limitations.
In this quote, Emily Dickinson explores the vast capabilities of love, suggesting that it can accomplish nearly everything except for bringing the dead back to life. However, she acknowledges that love itself has its own needs and vulnerabilities—just like a living being, love requires rest and sustenance. This duality emphasizes the strength of love while also recognizing that it is not infinite and must be nurtured.
Themes
LoveLimitationsNeedsStrengthVulnerability
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the power and limitations of love.
More from Emily Dickinson
All quotes →I held a jewel in my fingers And went to sleep. The day was warm, and winds were prosy; I said: "'T will keep." I woke and chid my honest fingers,— The gem was gone; And now an amethyst remembrance Is all I own.
Emily DickinsonRead
I'll tell you how the sun rose, a ribbon at a time. The steeples swam in amethyst, The news like squirrels ran. The hills untied their bonnets, The bobolinks begun. Then I said softly to myself, "That must have been the sun!
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My best Acquaintances are those With Whom I spoke no Word
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This is the Hour of Lead- Remembered, if outlived, As freezing persons, recollect the Snow- First-Chill-then Stupor- then the letting go---
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Luck is not chance, it's toil; fortune's expensive smile is earned.
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