We have done with Hope and Honour. we are lost to Love and Truth, We are dropping down the ladder rung by rung; And the measure of our torment is the measure of our youth. God help us, for we knew the worst too young!
If I were hanged on the highest hill, Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine! I know whose love would follow me still Mother o' mine, O mother o' mine!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a deep and unconditional love from a mother that persists even in the face of death.
In this poignant quote by Rudyard Kipling, the speaker reflects on the profound bond between a mother and child. It conveys the idea that no matter the circumstances—no matter how dire or tragic—there is a mother's love that endures and provides solace. The imagery of being hanged on the highest hill emphasizes the ultimate sacrifice or despair, while the repeated invocation of 'Mother o' mine' underscores the deep emotional connection and unwavering support that a mother offers throughout life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech honoring mothers, this quote could be used to express gratitude for their unwavering love.
More from Rudyard Kipling
All quotes →Humble because of knowledge; mighty by sacrifice.
Hear and attend and listen; for this is what befell and be-happened and became and was, O my Best Beloved, when the Tame animals were wild. The dog was wild, and the Horse was wild, and the Cow was wild, and the Sheep was wild, and the Pig was wild -as wild as wild could be - and they walked in the Wet Wild Woods by their wild lones. But the wildest of all the wild animals was the Cat. He walked by himself and all places were alike to him
I keep six honest serving men.
And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden, You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden.
Savings represent much more than mere money value. They are the proof that the saver is worth something in himself. Any fool can waste; any fool can muddle; but it takes something more of a man to save and the more he saves the more of a man he makes of himself. Waste and extravagance unsettle a man's mind for every crisis; thrift, which means some form of self-restraint, steadies it.
Similar quotes
Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.
For a week I did not take off my mechanic's coverall day or night I did not bathe or shave or brush my teeth because love taught me too late that you groom yourself for someone you dress and perfume yourself for someone and I'd never had anyone to do that for.
As far as love is concerned, possession, power, fusion and disenchantment are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
His [Elijah] heart was beginning to give signs of alarm; he was enjoying being at this woman's side. Love could be a more frightening experience than standing before Ahab's soldier with an arrow aimed at his heart; if the arrow had struck him, he would be dead -and the rest was up to God. But if love struck him, he alone would have to take responsibility for the consequences.
Be kinder to yourself. And then let your kindness flood the world.
I've been in love with people and ideas in several cities and learned that the lovers I've loved and the ideas I've embraced depended on where I was, how cold it was, and what I had to do to be able to stand it.