But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of.
Lord ByronRead
I shall soon be six-and-twenty. Is there anything in the future that can possibly console us for not being always twenty-five?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the inevitability of aging and the longing for youth.
In this quote, Lord Byron expresses a sense of nostalgia and melancholy as he approaches the age of twenty-six, contemplating whether anything in the future could compensate for the fleeting nature of youth. It captures the universal human experience of grappling with the passage of time and the bittersweet feelings associated with aging.
Themes
AgingYouthTimeNostalgiaFuture
In practice
Example use cases
During a birthday speech reflecting on the past and future.
More from Lord Byron
All quotes βIt is the lava of the imagination whose eruption prevents an earthquake.
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For what were all these country patriots born? To hunt, and vote, and raise the price of corn?
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Absence - that common cure of love.
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Her great merit is finding out mine; there is nothing so amiable as discernment.
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But words are things, and a small drop of ink, Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.
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