Nothing happens... but first a dream.
Carl SandburgRead
Give me hunger, pain and want, Shut me out with shame and failure From your doors of gold and fame, Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger! But leave me a little love.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that love is more valuable than wealth and success, and expresses a desire for genuine love despite hardships.
In this quote, Carl Sandburg conveys the idea that material wealth and success are insignificant compared to the necessity of love in one's life. He expresses a willingness to endure suffering and poverty as long as he can have at least a small amount of love, highlighting that love is the ultimate source of fulfillment and happiness that transcends all other desires.
Themes
LoveHungerWealthPainDesire
In practice
Example use cases
In a wedding speech to emphasize the importance of love over material possessions.
More from Carl Sandburg
All quotes →Read the dictionary from A to Izzard today. Get a vocabulary. Brush up on your diction. See whether wisdom is just a lot of language.
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My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
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There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.
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A liar goes in fine clothes, a liar goes in rags, a liar is a liar, clothes or no clothes.
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A book is never a masterpiece: it becomes one. Genius is the talent of a dead man.
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