I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love…
““I am glad it cannot happen twice, the fever of first love. For it is a fever, and a burden, too, whatever the poets may say. They are not brave, the days when we are twenty-one. They are full of little cowardices, little fears without foundation, and one is so easily bruised, so swiftly wounded, one falls to the first barbed word. To-day, wrapped in the complacent armour of approaching middle age, the infinitesimal pricks of day by day brush one but lightly and are soon forgotten, but then--how a careless word would linger, becoming a fiery stigma, and how a look, a glance over a shoulder, branded themselves as things eternal. A denial heralded the thrice crowing of a cock, and an insincerity was like the kiss of Judas. The adult mind can lie with untroubled conscience and a gay composure, but in those days even a small deception scoured the tongue, lashing one against the stake itself.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
First love feels intense and fragile, leaving lasting emotional marks that later adulthood dulls but never fully erases.
In simple terms: First love is intense and leaves lasting marks.
Key Takeaway
Cherish youthful honesty, recognize its lingering impact.
Themes
love
youth
memory
vulnerability
growth
Mood
reflective
melancholic
nostalgic
Type
literary
philosophical
emotional
When to use this quote
- first relationships
- heartbreak
- personal reflection
- midlife introspection
Key Concepts
emotional imprint
psychological development
nostalgia
Questions to Reflect On
- How do early emotional wounds shape adult relationships?
- Can we heal the lingering sting of youthful love?
A Different Perspective
Later maturity may soften pain but also risk overlooking lingering wounds.