Heart, we will forget him, You and I, tonight! You must forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light.
Emily DickinsonRead
A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Words take on new meaning and life each time they are spoken.
Emily Dickinson's quote highlights the transformative power of words. While some may believe that words lose their significance once they are uttered, Dickinson asserts that it is in the act of speaking them that they truly come to life, taking on new interpretations and connections in the minds of listeners.
Themes
WordsMeaningLifeLanguageExpression
In practice
Example use cases
During a poetry reading, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of spoken word.
More from Emily Dickinson
All quotes βI held a jewel in my fingers And went to sleep. The day was warm, and winds were prosy; I said: "'T will keep." I woke and chid my honest fingers,β The gem was gone; And now an amethyst remembrance Is all I own.
Emily DickinsonRead
I'll tell you how the sun rose, a ribbon at a time. The steeples swam in amethyst, The news like squirrels ran. The hills untied their bonnets, The bobolinks begun. Then I said softly to myself, "That must have been the sun!
Emily DickinsonRead
My best Acquaintances are those With Whom I spoke no Word
Emily DickinsonRead
This is the Hour of Lead- Remembered, if outlived, As freezing persons, recollect the Snow- First-Chill-then Stupor- then the letting go---
Emily DickinsonRead
Luck is not chance, it's toil; fortune's expensive smile is earned.
Emily DickinsonRead
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