As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
It is not night when I do see your face, Therefore I think I am not in the night; Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company, For you in my respect are all the world: Then how can it be said I am alone, When all the world is here to look on me?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The presence of a loved one can illuminate even the darkest times, making one feel complete and not alone.
In this quote, Shakespeare expresses the profound impact that a beloved person has on one's perception of reality. Even amidst darkness or solitude, the love and connection with this person transforms the environment, making one feel as though they are surrounded by the whole world through their love, thus dispelling feelings of loneliness.
Themes
LoveCompanionshipSolitudePresenceConnection
In practice
Example use cases
In a romantic card for Valentine's Day.
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Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
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Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
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Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
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