There, by the starlit fences The wanderer halts and hears My soul that lingers sighing About the glimmering weirs.
A. E. HousmanRead
The troubles of our proud and angry dust are from eternity, and shall not fail. Bear them we can, and if we can we must. Shoulder the sky, my lad, and drink your ale.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life's struggles are enduring, and while we can bear them, it's essential to face them head-on.
A. E. Housman's quote reflects on the persistent nature of human troubles, suggesting that they are an inherent part of existence. It emphasizes the idea that despite life's challenges—symbolized by the 'proud and angry dust'—we possess the strength to endure and face our burdens, encouraging an attitude of acceptance and resilience in the face of adversity.
Themes
EnduranceAdversityResilienceLifeStruggles
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech to inspire young athletes facing defeat.
More from A. E. Housman
All quotes →Who made the world I cannot tell; 'Tis made, and here am I in hell. My hand, though now my knuckles bleed, I never soiled with such a deed.
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I am not a pessimist but a pejorist (as George Eliot said she was not an optimist but a meliorist); and that philosophy is founded on my observation of the world, not on anything so trivial and irrelevant as personal history.
A. E. HousmanRead
Lovers lying two and two Ask not whom they sleep beside, And the bridegroom all night through Never turns him to the bride.
A. E. HousmanRead
And malt does more than Milton can to justify God's ways to man.
A. E. HousmanRead
Oh, 'tis jesting, dancing, drinking_x000D_ _x000D_ Spins the heavy world around.
A. E. HousmanRead
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