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The play is done; the curtain drops,_x000D_ _x000D_ Slow falling to the prompter's bell_x000D_ _x000D_ A moment yet the actor stops_x000D_ _x000D_ And looks around to say farewell.
William Makepeace Thackeray
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the conclusion of a performance and the bittersweet nature of endings.

William Makepeace Thackeray's quote captures a poignant moment at the end of a play, where the actor, after the final curtain falls, takes a moment to acknowledge the audience before departing. It symbolizes not just the end of a performance, but also the emotional connections formed during the journey, invoking feelings of nostalgia and the transient nature of art.

Themes

PerformanceFarewellTheatreArtEmotion

In practice

Example use cases

During a speech at a theatre gala, one might reflect on the journey of the artists and the shared experiences with the audience.

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The moral world has no particular objection to vice, but an insuperable repugnance to hearing vice called by its proper name.
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it is the ordinary lot of people to have no friends if they themselves care for nobody
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Quote by William Makepeace Thackeray | QuoteProject