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Oh, breathe not his name! let it sleep in the shade, Where cold and unhonour'd his relics are laid
Charles Lamb
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the idea of forgetting a person whose memory is overshadowed by neglect and dishonor.

Charles Lamb's quote suggests a profound sense of loss and sorrow associated with the fading memory of someone who has not been celebrated or remembered with honor. It evokes the notion that some individuals, despite their existence and contributions, may slip into obscurity, their names and legacies concealed in the shadows, leading to a collective desire to let their memories rest quietly.

Themes

MemoryHonorRemembranceLossObscurity

In practice

Example use cases

During a memorial service, I shared this quote to highlight the importance of honoring those we've lost.

More from Charles Lamb

Thus, when the lamp that lighted The traveller at first goes out, He feels awhile benighted, And looks around in fear and doubt. But soon, the prospect clearing, By cloudless starlight on he treads, And thinks no lamp so cheering As that light which Heaven sheds.
Charles LambRead
As down in the sunless retreats of the ocean Sweet flowers are springing no mortal can see, So deep in my soul the still prayer of devotion, Unheard by the world, rises silent to Thee. As still to the star of its worship, though clouded, The needle points faithfully o'er the dim sea, So dark when I roam in this wintry world shrouded, The hope of my spirit turns trembling to Thee.
Charles LambRead
The most mortifying infirmity in human nature, to feel in ourselves, or to contemplate in another, is perhaps cowardice.
Charles LambRead
Oh, ever thus, from childhood's hour, I 've seen my fondest hopes decay; I never loved a tree or flower But 't was the first to fade away. I never nurs'd a dear gazelle, To glad me with its soft black eye, But when it came to know me well And love me, it was sure to die.
Charles LambRead
May my last breath be drawn through a pipe, and exhaled in a jest.
Charles LambRead
A pun is not bound by the laws which limit nicer wit. It is a pistol let off at the ear; not a feather to tickle the intellect.
Charles LambRead

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