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There are moments in life, when the heart is so full of emotion That if by chance it be shaken, or into its depths like a pebble Drops some careless word, it overflows, and its secret, Spilt on the ground like water, can never be gathered together.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote speaks about the overwhelming nature of human emotions and how a single word can lead to an irreversible expression of feelings.

Longfellow illustrates how deeply our emotions can run, suggesting that there are pivotal moments when our hearts are filled to the brim with feelings. In such instances, even a small trigger can cause those feelings to pour out uncontrollably, and once shared, they cannot be retracted or hidden away, much like spilled water that cannot be gathered back up.

Themes

EmotionHeartFeelingsWordsExpression

In practice

Example use cases

During a heartfelt moment in a speech about personal experiences.

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