The loss of a friend is like that of a limb; time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be repaired.
Robert SoutheyRead
If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams - the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Conciseness in communication makes words more impactful.
This quote by Robert Southey suggests that brevity in speech and writing enhances the effectiveness of one's words. Just as concentrated sunlight can create a more intense heat, tightly constructed expressions carry more weight and can leave a lasting impression on the listener or reader, making them more powerful and memorable.
Themes
BrevityCommunicationImpactWisdomWords
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker may use this quote to emphasize the importance of concise presentations.
More from Robert Southey
All quotes βIt is not for man to rest in absolute contentment. He is born to hopes and aspirations as the sparks fly upward, unless he has brutalized his nature and quenched the spirit of immortality which is his portion.
Robert SoutheyRead
Oh, when a mother meets on high The babe she lost in infancy, Hath she not then for pains and fears, The day of woe, the watchful night, For all her sorrow, all her tears, An over-payment of delight?
Robert SoutheyRead
They sin who tell us Love can die: with Life all other passions fly, all others are but vanity.
Robert SoutheyRead
Order is the sanity of the mind, the health of the body, the peace of the city, the security of the state. Like beams in a house or bones to a body, so is order to all things.
Robert SoutheyRead
My days among the dead are passed; Around me I behold, Where'er these casual eyes are cast, The mighty minds of old; My never-failing friends are they, With whom I converse day by day.
Robert SoutheyRead
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