If two lives join, there is oft a scar. They are one and one, with a shadowy third; One near one is too far.
Robert BrowningRead
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!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the introspection and comfort found in literature during the darker, quieter times of life.
The quote conveys a sense of contemplation during the somber months of autumn, symbolizing the later stages of life. It expresses the speaker's intent to seek solace and wisdom in books by the fire, contrasting the noisiness of life with the quietude of reading, ultimately highlighting the depth and richness that literature brings during reflective moments.
Themes
AutumnIntrospectionWisdomLiteratureSolaceReflection
In practice
Example use cases
During a book reading event, this quote could capture the essence of seeking comfort in literature.
More from Robert Browning
All quotes →Tis Man's to explore up and down, inch by inch, with the taper his reason.
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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 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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