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Though I be shut in darkness, and become insentient dust…

“Though I be shut in darkness, and become insentient dust blown idly here and there, I count oblivion a scant price to pay for having once had held against my lip life's brimming cup of hydromel and rue--for having once known woman's holy love and a child's kiss, and for a little space been boon…” quote by Thomas Bailey Aldrich
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“Though I be shut in darkness, and become insentient dust blown idly here and there, I count oblivion a scant price to pay for having once had held against my lip life's brimming cup of hydromel and rue--for having once known woman's holy love and a child's kiss, and for a little space been boon companion to the Day and Night, Fed on the odors of the summer dawn, and folded in the beauty of the stars. Dear Lord, though I be changed to senseless clay, and serve the potter as he turns his wheel, I thank Thee for the gracious gift of tears!”

Thomas Bailey Aldrich

About This Quote

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

Even in death, the speaker values life's fleeting joys and thanks the divine for emotional depth.

In simple terms: Life’s small pleasures matter, even after death.

Key Takeaway

Cherish and be grateful for life's moments.

Themes

mortality gratitude beauty spirituality

Mood

reflective nostalgic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • memorial services
  • personal reflection
  • artistic expression

Key Concepts

existential reflection human experience divine gratitude

Questions to Reflect On

  • What simple joys do you cherish?
  • How does gratitude shape your view of mortality?
A Different Perspective

Some may view the tone as overly sentimental.

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