Love took up the harp of Life, and smote on all the chords with might; Smote the chord of Self, that, trembling, passed in music out of sight.
Interpretation
Love transcends the individual self, creating harmony in life through connection.
In this quote, Tennyson uses the metaphor of a harp to illustrate how love influences the essence of life. By striking the chord of 'Self', love transforms individuality into a beautiful, resonating music, suggesting that when we experience love, we harmonize our existence with others, often losing the sense of solitary identity in a greater, collective experience.
In practice
During a wedding ceremony to emphasize the beauty of love in uniting two individuals.
Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar.
How many a father have I seen, A sober man, among his boys, Whose youth was full of foolish noise.
O Love! what hours were thine and mine, In lands of palm and southern pine; In lands of palm, of orange-blossom, Of olive, aloe, and maize and vine!
Earth is dry to the centre,_x000D_ But spring, a new comer,_x000D_ A spring rich and strange,_x000D_ Shall make the winds blow_x000D_ Round and round,_x000D_ Thro' and thro',_x000D_ Here and there,_x000D_ Till the air_x000D_ And the ground_x000D_ Shall be fill'd with life anew.
O love, O fire! once he drew With one long kiss my whole soul through My lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.
But thy strong Hours indignant work’d their wills, And beat me down and marr’d and wasted me, And tho’ they could not end me, left me maim’d To dwell in presence of immortal youth, Immortal age beside immortal youth, And all I was, in ashes. - Tithonus
He shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he is more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.
Love doesn't die; the men and women do.
Time hates love, wants love poor,/but love spins gold, gold, gold from straw.
Men think that it is impossible for a human being to love his enemies, for enemies are hardly able to endure the sight of one another. Well, then, shut your eyes--and your enemy looks just like your neighbor.
The world is filled with love-play, from animal lust to sublime compassion.
Love hard when there is love to be had. Because perfect guys don’t exist, but there’s always one guy that is perfect for you.
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