--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And this tenderness was not like That…" description: "\"And this tenderness was not like That which a certain poet At the beginning of the century called true And, for some reason, quiet. No, not at all— It ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af8/anna-akhmatova-3933_broke_and-this-tenderness-was-not-like-that-wh_576997.jpg" --- # And this tenderness was not like That which a certain poet… ![“And this tenderness was not like That which a certain poet At the beginning of the century called true And, for some reason, quiet. No, not at all— It rang out, like the first waterfall, It crunched like the crust of bluish ice And it prayed with a swanlike voice, And it broke down right before…” quote by Anna Akhmatova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af8/anna-akhmatova-3933_broke_and-this-tenderness-was-not-like-that-wh_576997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af8/anna-akhmatova-3933_broke_and-this-tenderness-was-not-like-that-wh_576997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af8/anna-akhmatova-3933_broke_and-this-tenderness-was-not-like-that-wh_576997.jpg) > “And this tenderness was not like That which a certain poet At the beginning of the century called true And, for some reason, quiet. No, not at all— It rang out, like the first waterfall, It crunched like the crust of bluish ice And it prayed with a swanlike voice, And it broke down right before our eyes.” [Anna Akhmatova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-akhmatova/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True tenderness is powerful, vivid, and overwhelming, not quiet or subdued. **In simple terms:** Tenderness can be intense. Key Takeaway Embrace passionate feeling. Themes emotion intensity beauty Mood reflective poetic Type lyrical emotive When to use this quote - loving relationships - artistic creation - grieving loss - spiritual awe Key Concepts sensory imagery contrast poetic expression Questions to Reflect On - When does intense emotion become destructive? - How can you channel powerful feelings constructively? A Different Perspective Intensity may be misread as aggression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Broke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broke/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-poet-4749998/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ice/) [Like Waterfall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-waterfall-2205588/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Prayed Swanlike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayed-swanlike-4749997/) [Quiet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quiet/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Tenderness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenderness/) [Tenderness Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenderness-like-871119/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Waterfalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waterfalls/) ## Related quotes > [ \[Love\] can be found in making little dresses for stuffed birds, or in a garden of tenderness like I have done - mixing writing,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-messager/love-can-be-found-in-making-little-dresses-for-stuffed-birds-or-in-a/) [Annette Messager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-messager/) > [When you're young, there's so much that you can't take in. 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