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Far apart Quote by Emily Brontë

“A LITTLE while, a little while, The weary task is put away, And I can sing and I can smile, Alike, while I have holiday. Where wilt thou go, my harassed heart-- What thought, what scene invites thee now What spot, or near or far apart, Has rest for thee, my weary brow? There is a spot, 'mid barren…” quote by Emily Brontë
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““A LITTLE while, a little while, The weary task is put away, And I can sing and I can smile, Alike, while I have holiday. Where wilt thou go, my harassed heart-- What thought, what scene invites thee now What spot, or near or far apart, Has rest for thee, my weary brow? There is a spot, 'mid barren hills, Where winter howls, and driving rain; But, if the dreary tempest chills, There is a light that warms again. The house is old, the trees are bare, Moonless above bends twilight's dome; But what on earth is half so dear-- So longed for--as the hearth of home? The mute bird sitting on the stone, The dank moss dripping from the wall, The thorn-trees gaunt, the walks o'ergrown, I love them--how I love them all! Still, as I mused, the naked room, The alien firelight died away; And from the midst of cheerless gloom, I passed to bright, unclouded day. A little and a lone green lane That opened on a common wide; A distant, dreamy, dim blue chain Of mountains circling every side. A heaven so clear, an earth so calm, So sweet, so soft, so hushed an air; And, deepening still the dream-like charm, Wild moor-sheep feeding everywhere. THAT was the scene, I knew it well; I knew the turfy pathway's sweep, That, winding o'er each billowy swell, Marked out the tracks of wandering sheep. Could I have lingered but an hour, It well had paid a week of toil; But Truth has banished Fancy's power: Restraint and heavy task recoil. Even as I stood with raptured eye, Absorbed in bliss so deep and dear, My hour of rest had fleeted by, And back came labour, bondage, care.””

Emily Brontë

About This Quote

Source Poem: "The House of the Four Winds" by Emily Brontë, 1846

The poem contrasts fleeting moments of rest and joy with the inevitable return of duty and hardship, reflecting on nature’s solace and the fleeting nature of peace.

In simple terms: Rest feels brief before work returns.

Key Takeaway

Cherish pauses, but stay prepared.

Themes

nature rest work solace impermanence

Mood

contemplative melancholic hopeful

Type

poetic reflective inspirational

When to use this quote

  • vacation
  • creative work
  • personal reflection
  • mental health
  • nature walks

Key Concepts

transcendence melancholy reflection

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you balance rest with responsibility?
  • What natural scenes restore your spirit?
A Different Perspective

Rest is temporary; obligations inevitably resume.

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