Bears Quote by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
“And wilt thou have me fashion into speech The love I bear thee, finding words enough, And hold the torch out, while the winds are rough, Between our faces, to cast light on each? - I dropt it at thy feet. I cannot teach My hand to hold my spirits so far off From myself--me--that I should bring thee proof In words, of love hid in me out of reach. Nay, let the silence of my womanhood Commend my woman-love to thy belief, - Seeing that I stand unwon, however wooed, And rend the garment of my life, in brief, By a most dauntless, voiceless fortitude, Lest one touch of this heart convey its grief.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: Sonnets from the Portuguese, 1850
The speaker struggles to express deep love, fearing words are insufficient, and turns to silence as a more honest testament.
In simple terms: Love may be beyond words; silence can speak.
Key Takeaway
Embrace honest expression over forced words.
Themes
love
expression
silence
vulnerability
communication
Mood
melancholic
intimate
Type
literary
emotional
When to use this quote
- romantic confession
- personal letters
- artistic creation
- emotional support
Key Concepts
poetry
emotional honesty
ineffability
Questions to Reflect On
- What moments have you felt words failed you?
- When is silence more powerful than speech?
A Different Perspective
Silence may be misinterpreted as lack of feeling.
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)
