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So when or you or I are made A fable, song, or fleeting…

“So when or you or I are made A fable, song, or fleeting shade; All love, all liking, all delight Lies drowned with us in endless night. Then while time serves, and we are but decaying; Come, my Corinna, come, let's go a Maying.” quote by Robert Herrick
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“So when or you or I are made A fable, song, or fleeting shade; All love, all liking, all delight Lies drowned with us in endless night. Then while time serves, and we are but decaying; Come, my Corinna, come, let's go a Maying.”

Robert Herrick

About This Quote

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

Transient love and pleasure are fleeting, yet the poet seeks companionship to share the inevitable decline of life.

In simple terms: Love is fleeting; seek shared moments.

Key Takeaway

Cherish present connections before they fade.

Themes

love transience mortality companionship beauty

Mood

melancholic reflective

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

  • relationship building
  • elder care
  • creative writing
  • life coaching

Key Concepts

poetry philosophy romanticism

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you balance enjoyment of the present with acceptance of mortality?
  • What role does companionship play in facing life's impermanence?
A Different Perspective

Romanticizing decline may ignore practical concerns.

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