Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.
William CongreveRead
There is in true beauty, as in courage, something which narrow souls cannot dare to admire.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True beauty and courage are qualities that some people cannot appreciate due to their limited perspective.
William Congreve's quote suggests that genuine beauty and true courage possess a profound quality that elevates them beyond superficial appreciation. It implies that individuals with a narrow or superficial outlook may be unable to recognize or admire these deeper virtues, thus highlighting the importance of an open and generous spirit in appreciating the full richness of life.
Themes
BeautyCourageAdmirationSoulNarrow-Mindedness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the importance of being open-minded in art appreciation.
More from William Congreve
All quotes βShe likes herself, yet others hates, For that which in herself she prizes; And while she laughs at them, forgets She is the thing that she despises.
William CongreveRead
Women are like tricks by sleight of hand, Which, to admire, we should not understand
William CongreveRead
But say what you will, 'tis better to be left than never to have been loved. To pass our youth in dull indifference, to refuse the sweets of life because they once must leave us, is as preposterous as to wish to have been born old, because we one day must be old.
William CongreveRead
Grief walks upon the heels of pleasure; married in haste, we repent at leisure.
William CongreveRead
Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life. Security is an insipid thing.
William CongreveRead
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