There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
T. S. EliotRead
It's strange that words are so inadequate. Yet, like the asthmatic struggling for breath, so the lover must struggle for words.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the difficulty of expressing deep feelings through words, comparing it to a struggle for breath.
T. S. Eliot's quote highlights the inadequacy of language when it comes to conveying profound emotions, specifically love. Just as a person with asthma faces a struggle to breathe, a lover often finds it challenging to articulate their innermost feelings, emphasizing the gap between experience and expression.
Themes
WordsLoveExpressionInadequateStruggle
In practice
Example use cases
Using this quote during a wedding speech to illustrate the beauty and challenge of expressing love.
More from T. S. Eliot
All quotes βHalf of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them.
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I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
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If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
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For I have known them all already, known them allβ Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
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In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
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Whatever you love most, you fear you might lose, you know it can change. Why do you look from left to right when you cross the street? Because you donβt want to get run over. But, you still cross the street.
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Lawrence DurrellRead