Agony Quote by Fitz-Greene Halleck
“And thou art terrible--the tear, The groan, the knell, the pall, the bier; And all we know, or dream, or fear Of agony, are thine.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Grave” (1835) by Fitz‑Greene Halleck
The poet equates personal suffering with the universal sorrow of death, suggesting all pain is shared with the dead.
In simple terms: All suffering mirrors the grief of death.
Key Takeaway
Recognize shared humanity in suffering.
Themes
grief
death
shared suffering
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- funeral rites
- counseling
- literary study
- personal loss
Key Concepts
mortality
empathy
existential reflection
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to share grief with the dead?
- Does this view help or hinder coping?
A Different Perspective
The poem may romanticize death, overlooking its finality.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
