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'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Alfred Lord Tennyson
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The experience of love is more valuable than never having loved, even if it ends in loss.

This quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson suggests that the joy and fulfillment derived from love outweigh the pain of loss. It emphasizes that the courage to love, despite the risk of heartache, enriches our lives and contributes to our personal growth and understanding of relationships.

Themes

LoveLossExperienceRelationshipsGrowth

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech at a wedding, one might say this quote to emphasize the joy of love.

More from Alfred Lord Tennyson

Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar.
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How many a father have I seen, A sober man, among his boys, Whose youth was full of foolish noise.
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O Love! what hours were thine and mine, In lands of palm and southern pine; In lands of palm, of orange-blossom, Of olive, aloe, and maize and vine!
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Earth is dry to the centre,_x000D_ But spring, a new comer,_x000D_ A spring rich and strange,_x000D_ Shall make the winds blow_x000D_ Round and round,_x000D_ Thro' and thro',_x000D_ Here and there,_x000D_ Till the air_x000D_ And the ground_x000D_ Shall be fill'd with life anew.
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O love, O fire! once he drew With one long kiss my whole soul through My lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.
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But thy strong Hours indignant work’d their wills, And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me, And tho’ they could not end me, left me maim’d To dwell in presence of immortal youth, Immortal age beside immortal youth, And all I was, in ashes. - Tithonus
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Similar quotes

Some day, the world will discover that, without thought, there can be no love.
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It hurts to love. It's like giving yourself to be flayed and knowing that at any moment the other person may just walk off with your skin.
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Is it easy to love God' asks an old author. 'It is easy,' he replies, 'to those who do it.' I have included two Graces under the word Charity. But God can give a third. He can awake in man, towards Himself, a supernatural Appreciative love. This is of all gifts the most to be desired. Here, not in our natural loves, nor even in ethics, lies the true centre of all human and angelic life. With this all things are possible.
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Maybe it's just hiding somewhere. Or gone on a trip to come home. But falling in love is always a pretty crazy thing. It might appear out of the blue and just grab you. Who knows — maybe even tomorrow.
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i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)
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Real love is demanding. I would fail in my mission if I did not clearly tell you so. For it was Jesus - our Jesus himself - who said: 'You are my friends if you do what I command you'. Love demands effort and a personal commitment to the will of God. It means discipline and sacrifice, but it also means joy and human fulfilment.
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Quote by Alfred Lord Tennyson | QuoteProject