For mightier far_x000D_ _x000D_ Than strength of nerve or sinew, or the sway_x000D_ _x000D_ Of magic potent over sun and star,_x000D_ _x000D_ Is love, though oft to agony distrest,_x000D_ _x000D_ And though his favourite be feeble woman's breast.
She lived unknown, and few could know When Lucy ceased to be; But she is in her grave, and oh The difference to me!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the deep personal loss of a loved one who may not have been widely recognized by others.
In this poignant quote by William Wordsworth, the speaker mourns the death of Lucy, a figure who lived a life largely unnoticed by the world. The emotional weight of her absence is profound for the speaker, highlighting the intimate bonds of love and the heartache that comes with losing someone who, while unknown to many, held great significance in their life. The quote encapsulates the idea that the impact of a person is not measured by their fame or recognition, but by the depth of oneβs connection and the personal void left behind after they are gone.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared at a memorial service to express the pain of losing someone dear.
More from William Wordsworth
All quotes βBy all means sometimes be alone; salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear; dare to look in thy chest; and tumble up and down what thou findest there.
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,_x000D_ _x000D_ The earth, and every common sight,_x000D_ _x000D_ To me did seem_x000D_ _x000D_ Apparelled in celestial light,_x000D_ _x000D_ The glory and the freshness of a dream.
Books are yours, Within whose silent chambers treasure lies Preserved from age to age; more precious far Than that accumulated store of gold And orient gems, which, for a day of need, The Sultan hides deep in ancestral tombs. These hoards of truth you can unlock at will.
The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers: Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune.
Shalt show us how divine a thing A woman may be made.
Similar quotes
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The two dozen commonplace childhood photographs - snowsuit, pony, tennis racket, looming fender of a Dodge - were an inexhaustible source of wonder for him, at her having existed before he met her, and of sadness for his possessing nothing of the ten million minutes of that black-and-white scallop-edged existence save these few proofs.
Let's just keep asking ourselves this question: 'Is what I'm about to do strengthening the web of connections, or is it weakening it?'