Wild honey smells of freedom The dust - of sunlight The mouth of a young girl, like a violet But gold - smells of nothing.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
Who will grieve for this woman? Does she not seem too insignificant for our concern? Yet in my heart I never will deny her, Who suffered death because she chose to turn.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the overlooked struggles of individuals, emphasizing the significance of personal choice in the face of suffering.
In this quote, Anna Akhmatova addresses the tragic fate of a woman whose pain and sacrifice may go unnoticed by society. It explores themes of individual significance and the moral responsibility of acknowledging the suffering of others, regardless of their perceived importance or status. The speaker expresses a deep, personal connection to the woman's experience, highlighting the intrinsic value of every individual's choices and the consequences that follow.
Themes
SufferingIndividualityChoiceTragedyInsignificance
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about empathy and social responsibility, this quote could emphasize the importance of recognizing individual suffering.
More from Anna Akhmatova
All quotes →And you know, I agree to everything: I will condemn, I will forget, I will give comfort to the enemy, Darkness will be light and sin lovely.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
I myself, from the very beginning, Seemed to myself like someone's dream or delirium Or a reflection in someone else's mirror, Without flesh, without meaning, without a name. Already I knew the list of crimes That I was destined to commit.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
If you were music I would listen to you ceaselessly And my low spirits would brighten up.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
Not, not mine: it's somebody else's wound; I could never have borne it. So take the thing that happened, hide it, stick it in the ground; whisk the lamps away.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
I know beginnings, I know endings too, and life-in-death, and something else I'd rather not recall just now.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
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