The Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop, The Leaves of Life keep falling one by one.
Edward FitzgeraldRead
And much as Wine has played the Infidel, And robbed me of my Robe of Honor Well, I often wonder what the Vintners buy One half so precious as the stuff they sell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the paradox of indulging in pleasures, such as wine, that may detract from one's dignity or honor.
Edward Fitzgerald's quote explores the idea of how the indulgence in wine, often seen as a source of joy, can also lead to the loss of personal integrity or honor. The speaker expresses a sense of irony, suggesting that while the pleasure derived from wine can feel liberating, it comes at a cost. The rhetorical question about what could be more valuable than wine implies a deeper contemplation on the nature of what we value in life versus the transient joys we often seek.
Themes
WineHonorIndulgenceValueParadox
In practice
Example use cases
In a toast at a wedding, reflecting on the balance between joy and personal integrity.
More from Edward Fitzgerald
All quotes →Similar quotes
We are still conditioning people in this country and, indeed, all over the globe to the myth of white superiority. We are constantly being told that we don't have racism in this country anymore, but most of the people who are saying that are white. White people think it isn't happening because it isn't happening to them.
Jane ElliottRead
I don't believe in naming clients to get press. I hated it when I was a couture client. If the dresses don't sell themselves, there is something wrong.
Carolina HerreraRead
Every man has his folly, but the greatest folly of all … is not to have one.
Nikos KazantzakisRead
Title and ancestry render a good man more illustrious, but an ill one more contemptible.
Joseph AddisonRead
He felt his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. How strange that in his dread of death, it pumped all the harder, valiantly keeping him alive. But it would have to stop, and soon. Its beats were numbered. How many would there be time for, as he rose and walked through the castle for the last time, out into the grounds and into the forest?
J. K. RowlingRead
Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.
Nhat HanhRead