As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life can be found in nature and simple things around us, offering profound lessons.
In this quote, Shakespeare suggests that our lives are deeply interconnected with nature and the world around us. He implies that one can derive wisdom and insight from various elements of the environment, such as trees and streams, indicating that meaning and goodness can be found in all things if we take the time to observe and reflect on them.
Themes
LifeWisdomNatureMeaningReflection
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about the importance of nature in our lives.
More from William Shakespeare
All quotes βLove bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead
Similar quotes
The test of all beliefs is their practical effect in life. If it be true that optimism compels the world forward, and pessimism retards it, then it is dangerous to propagate a pessimistic philosophy.
Helen KellerRead
Life is this simple: we are living in a world that is absolutely transparent and the divine is shining through it all the time. This is not just a nice story or a fable, it is true.
Thomas MertonRead
If you write a novel where war is nothing but hell and no one experiences excitement or cracks a dark joke, then you're not actually admitting the full experience.
Phil KlayRead
When you confer a benefit on those worthy of it, you confer a favor on all.
Publilius SyrusRead
The White man pays Reverend Martin Luther King so that Martin Luther King can keep the Negro defenseless.
Malcolm XRead
Freedom will not prevail because of historical forces; it will only win, if it does, because of historical actors. In other words, us. Those like me who came of age around 1989 used to take democracy for granted.
Max BootRead