Individual life Quote by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
““Go from me. Yet I feel that I shall stand Henceforth in thy shadow. Nevermore Alone upon the threshold of my door Of individual life, I shall command The uses of my soul, nor lift my hand Serenely in the sunshine as before, Without the sense of that which I forbore-- Thy touch upon the palm. The widest land Doom takes to part us, leaves thy heart in mine With pulses that beat double. What I do And what I dream include thee, as the wine Must taste of its own grapes. And when I sue God for myself, He hears that name of thine, And sees within my eyes the tears of two.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Shadow of the Soul", 19th‑century lyric poetry
The speaker feels a deep, lingering connection to a lost love, intertwining personal longing with spiritual yearning.
In simple terms: Love and grief are intertwined, shaping identity.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the complexity of love and loss.
Themes
love
grief
spirituality
identity
memory
Mood
melancholic
introspective
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal mourning
- creative writing
- therapeutic counseling
- spiritual contemplation
Key Concepts
romanticism
existential reflection
poetic metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the “shadow” symbolize for you?
- How do personal loss and spiritual searching intersect?
A Different Perspective
The poem’s dense imagery may obscure its emotional clarity for some readers.
