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When I say to the Moment flying; 'Linger a while -- thou art so fair!' Then bind me in thy bonds undying, And my final ruin I will bear!
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses a desire to hold onto beautiful moments in life, even if it leads to eventual ruin.

In this quote, Goethe articulates a poignant longing for the fleeting beauty of moments that pass too quickly. The speaker implores time to pause and savor the beauty of the present, even if clinging to such moments may lead to suffering. This reflects a universal human experience: the tension between appreciating life's beauty and the inevitable passage of time that leads to loss.

Themes

MomentBeautyTimeLifeRuin

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a speech about cherishing life's fleeting moments.

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