The small wisdom is like water in a glass: clear, transparent, pure. The great wisdom is like the water in the sea: dark, mysterious, impenetrable.
Rabindranath TagoreRead
Life, like a child, laughs, shaking its rattle of death as it runs.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is joyful but fleeting, much like a child's laughter, which contrasts with the inevitability of death.
Rabindranath Tagore's quote likens life to a child who joyfully laughs while simultaneously acknowledging the presence of death, represented by the rattle. This imagery highlights the dual nature of existence, where joy and sorrow coexist, emphasizing that life is precious and should be embraced despite its transient nature.
Themes
LifeChildLaughterDeathJoyExistence
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to highlight the importance of cherishing life.
More from Rabindranath Tagore
All quotes βMusic fills the infinite between two souls. This has been muffled by the mist of our daily habits.
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True deliverance of man is the deliverance from Avidya i.e. ignorance. It is not in destroying anything that is positive and real, for that cannot be possible, but that which is negative, which obstructs our vision of truth.
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The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
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If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.
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To be outspoken is easy when you do not wait to speak the complete truth.
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