---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme…"
description: "\"Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme, Enjoy thy youth, it will not stay; Enjoy the fragrance of thy prime, For oh, it is not always May!\" — Henry Wad..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/henry-wadsworth-longfellow-284_enjoy_maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-en_2405840.jpg"
---

#  Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme, Enjoy thy youth…

![“Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme, Enjoy thy youth, it will not stay; Enjoy the fragrance of thy prime, For oh, it is not always May!” quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/henry-wadsworth-longfellow-284_enjoy_maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-en_2405840.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/henry-wadsworth-longfellow-284_enjoy_maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-en_2405840.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/henry-wadsworth-longfellow-284_enjoy_maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-en_2405840.jpg)

> “Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme, Enjoy thy youth, it will not stay; Enjoy the fragrance of thy prime, For oh, it is not always May!”

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

## About This Quote

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

It reminds us to cherish youth and its fleeting beauty, as time passes quickly.

**In simple terms:** Enjoy youth before it fades.

Key Takeaway

Savor youthful moments while they last.

Themes

youth impermanence joy

Mood

nostalgic gentle

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

- celebrations
- personal milestones
- creative writing

Key Concepts

poetry life appreciation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you honor fleeting moments?
- What does "prime" mean to you?

A Different Perspective

Youth is inevitable; focus on present.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/)

## Related quotes

> [In the days of thy youth seek to obtain that which shall compensate the losses of thy old age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/in-the-days-of-thy-youth-seek-to-obtain-that-which-shall-compensate/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [“Keep true to the dreams of thy youth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-von-schiller/keep-true-to-the-dreams-of-thy-youth/)

[Friedrich von Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-von-schiller/)

> [“to be Thine evermore; youth mingled with thy youth, Age with thine age; in thy grave mine; above, Spirit beside thy spirit; - this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lytton-bulwer/to-be-thine-evermore-youth-mingled-with-thy-youth-age-with-thine-age/)

Edward Lytton-Bulwer

> [In thee thy mother dies, our household's name, My death's revenge, thy youth, and England's fame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/in-thee-thy-mother-dies-our-household-s-name-my-death-s-revenge-thy/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rejoice-o-young-man-in-thy-youth-and-let-thy-heart-cheer-thee-in-the/)

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

> [In thy youth wast as true a lover, As ever sighed upon a midnight pillow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/in-thy-youth-wast-as-true-a-lover-as-ever-sighed-upon-a-midnight/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [Stay true to the dreams of thy youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/stay-true-to-the-dreams-of-thy-youth/)

[Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/)

> [“Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nevertheless-i-will-remember-my-covenant-with-thee-in-the-days-of-thy/)

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

> [At daybreak, on the bleak sea-beach, A fisherman stood aghast, To see the form of a maiden fair, Lashed close to a drifting mast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/at-daybreak-on-the-bleak-sea-beach-a-fisherman-stood-aghast-to-see/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> ['Twas Easter-Sunday. The full-blossomed trees Filled all the air with fragrance and with joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/twas-easter-sunday-the-full-blossomed-trees-filled-all-the-air-with/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Our blossoms of passion, gay and luxuriant flowers, are bright and full of fragrance, but they beguile us and lead us astray, and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/our-blossoms-of-passion-gay-and-luxuriant-flowers-are-bright-and-full/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Mine is the Month of Roses; yes, and mine The Month of Marriages! All pleasant sights And scents, the fragrance of the blossoming vine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/mine-is-the-month-of-roses-yes-and-mine-the-month-of-marriages-all/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Forget the noose. Forget the Iron Maiden. Forget the electric chair or the guillotine. The mind was mankind's most painful torture chamber, the blessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/forget-the-noose-forget-the-iron-maiden-forget-the-electric-chair-or/)

[Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/)

> [Where shall the lover rest, Whom the fates sever From his true maiden's breast, Parted for ever? Where, through groves deep and high, Sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/where-shall-the-lover-rest-whom-the-fates-sever-from-his-true-maiden/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [My featherbed is deep and soft, and there I’ll lay you down, I’ll dress you all in yellow silk and on your head a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-featherbed-is-deep-and-soft-and-there-i-ll-lay-you-down-i-ll-dress/)

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

## More by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

> [The spring came suddenly, bursting upon the world as a child bursts into a room, with a laugh and a shout and hands full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-spring-came-suddenly-bursting-upon-the-world-as-a-child-bursts/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [In old age our bodies are worn-out instruments, on which the soul tries in vain to play the melodies of youth. But because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/in-old-age-our-bodies-are-worn-out-instruments-on-which-the-soul/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [“ Endymion The rising moon has hid the stars; Her level rays, like golden bars, Lie on the landscape green, With shadows brown between.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/endymion-the-rising-moon-has-hid-the-stars-her-level-rays-like-golden/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [There's nothing fair nor beautiful, but takes Something from thee, that makes it beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/there-s-nothing-fair-nor-beautiful-but-takes-something-from-thee-that/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Fame comes only when deserved, and then is as inevitable as destiny, for it is destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/fame-comes-only-when-deserved-and-then-is-as-inevitable-as-destiny/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Nature paints not; In oils, but frescoes the great dome of heaven; With sunsets, and the lovely forms of clouds; And flying vapors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/nature-paints-not-in-oils-but-frescoes-the-great-dome-of-heaven-with/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [“  Thus dwelt together in love these simple Acadian farmers,—   Dwelt in the love of God and of man. Alike were they free from   Fear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/thus-dwelt-together-in-love-these-simple-acadian-farmers-dwelt-in-the/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [The trees are white with dust, that o'er their sleep Wave their broad curtains in the south-wind's breath, While underneath such leafy tents they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/the-trees-are-white-with-dust-that-o-er-their-sleep-wave-their-broad/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Heights by great men reached and kept were not obtained by sudden flight but, while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/heights-by-great-men-reached-and-kept-were-not-obtained-by-sudden/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [All things come round to him who will but wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/all-things-come-round-to-him-who-will-but-wait/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Ah, how skillful grows the hand That obeyeth Love's command! It is the heart, and not the brain, That to the highest doth attain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/ah-how-skillful-grows-the-hand-that-obeyeth-love-s-command-it-is-the/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Thus departed Hiawatha, Hiawatha the Beloved, In the glory of the sunset, In the purple mists of evening, To the regions of the home-wind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/thus-departed-hiawatha-hiawatha-the-beloved-in-the-glory-of-the/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Books are sepulchres of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/books-are-sepulchres-of-thought/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Morality without religion is only a kind of dead reckoning - an endeavor to find our place on a cloudy sea by measuring the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/morality-without-religion-is-only-a-kind-of-dead-reckoning-an/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

> [Buried was the bloody hatchet; Buried was the dreadful war-club; Buried were all warlike weapons, And the war-cry was forgotten. Then was peace among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/buried-was-the-bloody-hatchet-buried-was-the-dreadful-war-club-buried/)

[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

[Explore all 755 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/)

## More Enjoy quotes

> [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/)

[Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/)

> [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/)

[Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/)

> [The Fringe is by far my favorite time of year; I like everything about it. But there are people I know who are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/the-fringe-is-by-far-my-favorite-time-of-year-i-like-everything-about/)

[Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/)

> [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/)

[Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/)

> [The Germans will make a few scattered attacks, then go away. The Romans will enjoy a fine September.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-badoglio/the-germans-will-make-a-few-scattered-attacks-then-go-away-the-romans/)

Pietro Badoglio

> [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/)

[Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/)

> [I enjoy upsetting the right people. I love poking fun at earnest censors. I want to push the bounds of what can be said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/i-enjoy-upsetting-the-right-people-i-love-poking-fun-at-earnest/)

[Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/)

> [I don't own a yacht or a flashy car. I've always had safe cars because I do so much driving. I don't think I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/i-don-t-own-a-yacht-or-a-flashy-car-i-ve-always-had-safe-cars-because/)

[Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/)

> [I really enjoy going to play for the national team and be with the guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedi-osman/i-really-enjoy-going-to-play-for-the-national-team-and-be-with-the/)

[Cedi Osman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedi-osman/)

> [The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-evening-s-the-best-part-of-the-day-you-ve-done-your-day-s-work/)

[Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/)

> [I really enjoy hosting, not necessarily because it provides more airtime, but because it allows me to be a part of more substantive discussions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-ponder/i-really-enjoy-hosting-not-necessarily-because-it-provides-more/)

[Samantha Ponder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-ponder/)

> [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [We should not live in fear, we should all enjoy being able to express our views freely and openly, challenge each other on issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-cheng-bock/we-should-not-live-in-fear-we-should-all-enjoy-being-able-to-express/)

[Tan Cheng Bock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-cheng-bock/)

> [Today it is the skeptics who are the social conformists, though because of powerful intellectual propaganda they continue to enjoy thinking of themselves as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/today-it-is-the-skeptics-who-are-the-social-conformists-though/)

[Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/)

> [Certainly, it is. Love is love, and loss is loss. We all love, and we all die, and everyone suffers the pain of grieving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynsay-sands/certainly-it-is-love-is-love-and-loss-is-loss-we-all-love-and-we-all/)

[Lynsay Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynsay-sands/)

Browse all 13,068 Enjoy quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme, Enjoy thy youth, it will not stay; Enjoy the fragrance of thy prime, For oh, it is not always May!",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-enjoy-thy-youth-it-will-not/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Enjoy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-enjoy-thy-youth-it-will-not/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/henry-wadsworth-longfellow-284_enjoy_maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-en_2405840.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/henry-wadsworth-longfellow-284_enjoy_maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-en_2405840.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/henry-wadsworth-longfellow-284_enjoy_maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-en_2405840.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme, Enjoy thy youth, it will not stay; Enjoy the fragrance of thy prime…” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow",
                "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": "Henry Wadsworth Longfellow",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-enjoy-thy-youth-it-will-not/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/maiden-that-read-st-this-simple-rhyme-enjoy-thy-youth-it-will-not/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
