Tis Man's to explore up and down, inch by inch, with the taper his reason.
Robert BrowningRead
If two lives join, there is oft a scar. They are one and one, with a shadowy third; One near one is too far.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that when two individuals come together, their union can leave emotional marks, revealing the complexities of intimacy.
Robert Browning's quote reflects on the intricate nature of relationships, emphasizing that when two people unite, they often bring with them past experiences and emotional baggage, which can result in a 'scar'—a metaphor for the emotional remnants of their past lives. The idea of being 'one and one, with a shadowy third' suggests that their individual identities are still present even within the union, creating a dynamic where closeness can sometimes lead to distance or misunderstanding.
Themes
RelationshipsLoveIntimacyEmotionUnion
In practice
Example use cases
In a wedding ceremony, this quote can be used to highlight the emotional depth of marital union.
More from Robert Browning
All quotes →I think, am sure, a brother's love exceeds_x000D_ _x000D_ All the world's loves in its unworldliness.
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I dare not so honor my mere wishes and prayers as to put them for a moment beside your noble acts; but this know, I would rather submit to the worst of deaths, so far as pain goes, than have a single dog or cat tortured on the pretence of sparing me a twinge or two.
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How well I know what I mean to do When the long dark Autumn evenings come, And where, my soul, is thy pleasant hue? With the music of all thy voices, dumb In life’s November too! I shall be found by the fire, suppose, O’er a great wise book as beseemeth age, While the shutters flap as the cross-wind blows, And I turn the page, and I turn the page, Not verse now, only prose!
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How good is life, the mere living!
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Where the apple reddens never pry - lest we lose our Edens, Eve and I.
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