---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: your concert-goer, though he feed upon…"
description: "\"your concert-goer, though he feed upon symphony as a lamb upon milk, is no true lover if he play no instrument. Your true lover does more than admire t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/catherine-drinker-bowen-22445_admire_your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-sy_1250728.png"
---

#  your concert-goer, though he feed upon symphony as a lamb…

![“your concert-goer, though he feed upon symphony as a lamb upon milk, is no true lover if he play no instrument. Your true lover does more than admire the muse; he sweats a little in her service.” quote by Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/catherine-drinker-bowen-22445_admire_your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-sy_1250728.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/catherine-drinker-bowen-22445_admire_your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-sy_1250728.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/catherine-drinker-bowen-22445_admire_your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-sy_1250728.png)

> “your concert-goer, though he feed upon symphony as a lamb upon milk, is no true lover if he play no instrument. Your true lover does more than admire the muse; he sweats a little in her service.”

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

## About This Quote

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

True love for art requires active participation, not just passive appreciation.

**In simple terms:** Love needs effort, not just admiration.

Key Takeaway

Engage actively with what you cherish.

Themes

art love participation effort authenticity

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- musician practice
- art criticism
- creative collaboration

Key Concepts

Aesthetic engagement personal sacrifice

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you contribute rather than just admire?
- What does active love look like in your field?

A Different Perspective

Passive admiration may lead to superficial understanding.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Admire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admire/) [Concert Goer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concert-goer-3941468/) [Concerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concerts/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Feed Symphony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feed-symphony-3941469/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Instruments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instruments/) [Lambs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lambs/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lover/) [Lover Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lover-does-648412/) [Lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lovers/) [Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/milk/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muse/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Music making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music-making/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Sweat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweat/) [Symphony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symphony/) [True lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-lover/) [True lovers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-lovers/)

## Related quotes

> [The true lover of knowledge naturally strives for truth, and is not content with common opinion, but soars with undimmed and unwearied passion till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/the-true-lover-of-knowledge-naturally-strives-for-truth-and-is-not/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [Nature will not be conquered, but gives herself freely to her true lover - to him who revels with her, bathes in her seas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burroughs/nature-will-not-be-conquered-but-gives-herself-freely-to-her-true/)

[John Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burroughs/)

> [“Beauty is an illusion, created by Mother Nature to drive the human species in the path of reproduction. In reality, beauty is irrelevant to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/beauty-is-an-illusion-created-by-mother-nature-to-drive-the-human/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [Queen Guenever, for whom I make here a little mention, that while she lived she was a true lover, and therefore she had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/queen-guenever-for-whom-i-make-here-a-little-mention-that-while-she/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“The most crucial thing to know about true love is that, it is not something you can find, rather you need to build it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-most-crucial-thing-to-know-about-true-love-is-that-it-is-not/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Beauty is irrelevant to human life, especially in a relationship. What you today perceive as beautiful and special, over time, becomes not so special.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/beauty-is-irrelevant-to-human-life-especially-in-a-relationship-what/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [Like the musician, the painter, the poet and the rest, the true lover of flowers is born, not made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-thaxter/like-the-musician-the-painter-the-poet-and-the-rest-the-true-lover-of/)

[Celia Thaxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-thaxter/)

> [Your earthly lover can be charming and coquettish but never very faithful. The true lover is the one who on your final day opens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/your-earthly-lover-can-be-charming-and-coquettish-but-never-very/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [Love remains a secret even when spoken, for only a true lover truly knows that he is loved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/love-remains-a-secret-even-when-spoken-for-only-a-true-lover-truly/)

[Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/)

> [And as he held his first true lover against him, feeling that familiar difference in their heights and smelling that wonderful cologne, part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/and-as-he-held-his-first-true-lover-against-him-feeling-that-familiar/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

> [“It is not beauty that keeps a relationship alive, it is attachment. Without attachment, a naked body is merely a lifeless sex toy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/it-is-not-beauty-that-keeps-a-relationship-alive-it-is-attachment/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [“Love is not the primeval surge of libidinal lust that a person receives when meeting a suitable partner for the first time. Love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/love-is-not-the-primeval-surge-of-libidinal-lust-that-a-person/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [The True Lover is the one who realizes that Loyalty must go hand in hand with Freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-true-lover-is-the-one-who-realizes-that-loyalty-must-go-hand-in/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [A true Lover is proved such by his pain of Heart! No sickness is there like sickness of Heart!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/a-true-lover-is-proved-such-by-his-pain-of-heart-no-sickness-is-there/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [The true lover realizes that freedom is needed for loyalty to blossom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-true-lover-realizes-that-freedom-is-needed-for-loyalty-to-blossom/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

## More by Catherine Drinker Bowen

> [Writing is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/writing-is-not-apart-from-living-writing-is-a-kind-of-double-living/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [A woman's biography - with about eight famous historical exceptions - so often turns out to be the story of a man and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/a-woman-s-biography-with-about-eight-famous-historical-exceptions-so/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [In writing biography, fact and fiction shouldn't be mixed. And if they are, the fictional points should be printed in red ink, the facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/in-writing-biography-fact-and-fiction-shouldn-t-be-mixed-and-if-they/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [What the writer needs is an empty day ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/what-the-writer-needs-is-an-empty-day-ahead/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [“Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences every thing twice. Once in reality and once in that mirror which waits always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/writing-is-a-kind-of-double-living-the-writer-experiences-every-thing/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [Will the reader turn the page?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/will-the-reader-turn-the-page/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [People who carry a musical soul about them are, I think, more receptive than others. They smile more readily. One feels in them a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/people-who-carry-a-musical-soul-about-them-are-i-think-more-receptive/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [Many a man who has known himself at ten forgets himself utterly between ten and thirty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/many-a-man-who-has-known-himself-at-ten-forgets-himself-utterly/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [Writing, I think, is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/writing-i-think-is-not-apart-from-living-writing-is-a-kind-of-double/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [All the others arts are lonely. We paint alone--my picture, my interpretation of the sky. My poem, my novel. But in music--ensemble music, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/all-the-others-arts-are-lonely-we-paint-alone-my-picture-my/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [Chamber music - a conversation between friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/chamber-music-a-conversation-between-friends/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [History is, in its essence, exciting; to present it as dull is, to my mind, stark and unforgivable misrepresentation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/history-is-in-its-essence-exciting-to-present-it-as-dull-is-to-my/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [What pioneer ever had chart and a lighthouse to steer by?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/what-pioneer-ever-had-chart-and-a-lighthouse-to-steer-by/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [In early days, I tried not to give librarians any trouble, which was where I made my primary mistake. Librarians like to be given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/in-early-days-i-tried-not-to-give-librarians-any-trouble-which-was/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

> [One of the marks of true genius is a quality of abundance. A rich, rollicking abundance, enough to give indigestion to ordinary people. Great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/one-of-the-marks-of-true-genius-is-a-quality-of-abundance-a-rich/)

[Catherine Drinker Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

[Explore all 27 Catherine Drinker Bowen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/)

## More Admire quotes

> [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn't admire Serena Williams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/i-admire-serena-williams-because-i-mean-who-doesn-t-admire-serena/)

[Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/)

> [How proud I am to be compared to Oprah. I really admire her. She's a minority woman and she's done all this by herself...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-saralegui/how-proud-i-am-to-be-compared-to-oprah-i-really-admire-her-she-s-a/)

[Cristina Saralegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-saralegui/)

> [I admire President Obama's ability to trust strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/i-admire-president-obama-s-ability-to-trust-strangers/)

[Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/)

> [I really admire people's interactions with technology that aren't tech-centric but use it as a tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/i-really-admire-people-s-interactions-with-technology-that-aren-t/)

[Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/)

> [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/)

[John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/)

> [Shaw's works make me admire the magnificent tolerance and broadmindedness of the english.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/shaw-s-works-make-me-admire-the-magnificent-tolerance-and/)

[James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/)

> [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/)

[Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/)

> [I believe in a world where there are no heroes, and I've read and know humanity a lot. There are moments that I admire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/i-believe-in-a-world-where-there-are-no-heroes-and-i-ve-read-and-know/)

[Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/)

> [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [I think it's really good and helpful to have the people you most admire in some other discipline than what you work in. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whit-stillman/i-think-it-s-really-good-and-helpful-to-have-the-people-you-most/)

[Whit Stillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whit-stillman/)

> [Part of what we admire about a painting or a piece of music is the order which the artist has imposed upon what would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-storr/part-of-what-we-admire-about-a-painting-or-a-piece-of-music-is-the/)

[Anthony Storr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-storr/)

> [I respect and admire the Premier League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-koeman/i-respect-and-admire-the-premier-league/)

[Ronald Koeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-koeman/)

> [“Admire and appreciate your man and he will be happy on your side”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-alfiori/admire-and-appreciate-your-man-and-he-will-be-happy-on-your-side/)

[Linda Alfiori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-alfiori/)

> [“The thing I admire most about you is no matter how hard, or how much the world has tried to beat you, break you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-gill/the-thing-i-admire-most-about-you-is-no-matter-how-hard-or-how-much/)

[Nikita Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-gill/)

[Browse all 2,369 Admire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admire/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "your concert-goer, though he feed upon symphony as a lamb upon milk, is no true lover if he play no instrument. Your true lover does more than admire the muse; he sweats a little in her service.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Catherine Drinker Bowen"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-symphony-as-a-lamb-upon-milk-is/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Admire"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-symphony-as-a-lamb-upon-milk-is/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/catherine-drinker-bowen-22445_admire_your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-sy_1250728.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/catherine-drinker-bowen-22445_admire_your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-sy_1250728.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33a/catherine-drinker-bowen-22445_admire_your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-sy_1250728.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“your concert-goer, though he feed upon symphony as a lamb upon milk, is no true lover if he play no…” — Catherine Drinker Bowen",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Catherine Drinker Bowen",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-drinker-bowen/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "your concert-goer, though he feed upon...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-symphony-as-a-lamb-upon-milk-is/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-drinker-bowen/your-concert-goer-though-he-feed-upon-symphony-as-a-lamb-upon-milk-is/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
