I have discovered in life that there are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, if you really want to go.
Langston HughesRead
I’s been livin’ a long time in yesterday, Sandy chile, an’ I knows there ain’t no room in de world fo’ nothin’ mo’n love. I know, chile! Ever’thing there is but lovin’ leaves a rust on yo’ soul. An’ to love sho ‘nough, you got to have a spot in yo’ heart fo’ ever’body – great an’ small, white an’ black, an’ them what’s good an’ them what’s evil – ‘cause love ain’t got no crowded-out places where de good ones stay an’ de bad ones can’t come in. When it gets that way, then it ain’t love.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Love is essential for a fulfilling life, and it encompasses acceptance of everyone, regardless of their qualities.
In this quote, Langston Hughes emphasizes the importance of love in life, suggesting that love should be all-encompassing and inclusive. He argues that true love does not discriminate between people based on their goodness or faults; instead, it creates space for everyone in one’s heart. The metaphorical notion that love leaves no room for anything else underlines the idea that love is central to our existence and well-being, transcending divisions and fostering unity.
Themes
LoveAcceptanceInclusivityUnityHeart
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a discussion on the importance of love in relationships.
More from Langston Hughes
All quotes →My writing has been largely concerned with the depicting of Negro life in America.
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I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course. Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.
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An artist must be free to choose what he does, certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose.
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The calm, Cool face of the river, Asked me for a kiss
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The only way to get a thing done is to start to do it, then keep on doing it, and finally you'll finish it.
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