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I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees…

“I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees; all times I have enjoy’d Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those That loved me, and alone; on shore and when Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades Vext the dim sea: I am become a name…” quote by Alfred Tennyson
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““I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees; all times I have enjoy’d Greatly, have suffer’d greatly, both with those That loved me, and alone; on shore and when Thro’ scudding drifts the rainy Hyades Vext the dim sea: I am become a name…””

Alfred Tennyson

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker feels an endless yearning for travel, drinking life’s experiences fully, yet also confronting loneliness and the vast, indifferent sea.

In simple terms: Travel fuels both joy and suffering, leaving a lasting imprint.

Key Takeaway

Live fully, accept both joy and pain.

Themes

adventure existence loneliness nature memory

Mood

melancholic contemplative

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • travel writing
  • personal memoir
  • psychological reflection
  • creative inspiration

Key Concepts

existentialism romanticism human condition

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does “drink Life to the lees” mean to you?
  • How do you balance wanderlust with belonging?
A Different Perspective

Travel can be exhausting and isolating.

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