There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
Time for you and time for me, And time yet for a hundred indecisions, And for a hundred visions and revisions, Before the taking of a toast and tea.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the nature of time and the human tendency to overthink decisions before taking action.
T. S. Eliot's quote highlights the complexities of time management and decision-making in life. It suggests that individuals often spend too much time in contemplation and hesitation, caught in a cycle of indecision and revision, rather than acting decisively. The mention of 'toast and tea' symbolizes moments of pause or social interaction, underscoring how time can both be a source of anxiety and an opportunity for connection.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about taking risks, one might say this quote to emphasize the importance of action over contemplation.
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.
I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
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.
In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
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There is no worse sickness for the soul, o you who are proud, than this pretense of perfection.
It was the contemplation of God that created men who were equal, for it was in God that they were equal.
Human beings are religious animals.
The Creator, in taking infinite pains to shroud with mystery His presence in every atom of creation, could have had but one motive - a sensitive desire that men seek Him only through free will.