The loss of a friend is like that of a limb; time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be repaired.
Robert SoutheyRead
It is not for man to rest in absolute contentment. He is born to hopes and aspirations as the sparks fly upward, unless he has brutalized his nature and quenched the spirit of immortality which is his portion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that humans are meant to strive and aspire, rather than settle for complete contentment.
Robert Southey's quote suggests that the human condition is inherently linked to a sense of hope and aspiration, driving individuals to seek fulfillment and meaning in their lives. It implies that resting in absolute contentment can lead to a stagnation of the human spirit, which is naturally inclined to reach for greater heights and foster an enduring ambition. By contrasting the pursuit of aspirations with the danger of losing one's innate spirit, Southey captures the essence of what it means to be human—a continuous journey towards growth and enlightenment.
Themes
AspirationContentmentSpiritHopeNature
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about the importance of pursuing your dreams.
More from Robert Southey
All quotes →Oh, when a mother meets on high The babe she lost in infancy, Hath she not then for pains and fears, The day of woe, the watchful night, For all her sorrow, all her tears, An over-payment of delight?
Robert SoutheyRead
If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams - the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn.
Robert SoutheyRead
They sin who tell us Love can die: with Life all other passions fly, all others are but vanity.
Robert SoutheyRead
Order is the sanity of the mind, the health of the body, the peace of the city, the security of the state. Like beams in a house or bones to a body, so is order to all things.
Robert SoutheyRead
My days among the dead are passed; Around me I behold, Where'er these casual eyes are cast, The mighty minds of old; My never-failing friends are they, With whom I converse day by day.
Robert SoutheyRead
Similar quotes
The power and influence of a movie star is curious: I didn't ask for it or take it; people gave it to me. Simply because you're a movie star, people empower you with special rights and privileges.
Marlon BrandoRead
The moral nihilism of celebrity culture is played out on reality television shows, most of which encourage a dark voyeurism into other people's humiliation, pain, weakness, and betrayal.
Chris HedgesRead
Man hath still either toys or care: But hath no root, nor to one place is tied, but ever restless and irregular, about this earth doth run and ride. He knows he hath a home, but scarce knows where; He says it is so far, that he has quite forgot how to go there.
Henry VaughanRead
If power corrupts, the reverse is also true; persecution corrupts the victims though perhaps in subtler and more tragic ways.
Arthur KoestlerRead
The written word is weak. Many people prefer life to it. Life gets your blood going, & it smells good. Writing is mere writing, literature is mere. It appeals only to the subtlest senses—the imagination’s vision, & the imagination’s hearing—& the moral sense, & the intellect. This writing that you do, that so thrills you, that so rocks & exhilarates you, as if you were dancing next to the band, is barely audible to anyone else.
Annie DillardRead
In a way, fraud in business is no different from infidelity in marriage or plagiarism in scholarly work. Even people committed to high moral standards succumb.
Miroslav VolfRead