--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was never a merry world since the…" description: "\"There was never a merry world since the fairies left off dancing.\" — John Selden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/john-selden-7457_dance_there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the_902282.jpg" --- # There was never a merry world since the fairies left off… ![“There was never a merry world since the fairies left off dancing.” quote by John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/john-selden-7457_dance_there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the_902282.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/john-selden-7457_dance_there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the_902282.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/john-selden-7457_dance_there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the_902282.jpg) > “There was never a merry world since the fairies left off dancing.” [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The loss of wonder and imagination marks a world lacking joy and enchantment. **In simple terms:** Without fairies, the world feels less merry. Key Takeaway Cultivate imagination and wonder to restore joy. Themes imagination joy fairy tales loss enchantment Mood nostalgic inspirational reflective Type cultural personal When to use this quote - storytelling - creative arts - children's education - community festivals Key Concepts cultural myth psychology of play literary symbolism Questions to Reflect On - How can you reintroduce wonder into daily life? - What stories spark your imagination? A Different Perspective Modern life can suppress imagination, making it hard to reconnect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Faerie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faerie/) [Fairies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairies/) [Fairies Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairies-left-1254022/) [Fairy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairy/) [Just dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-dance/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Merry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merry/) [Merry World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merry-world-1254023/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Fairies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-fairies-689565/) ## Related quotes > [Once, at the dreaming dawn of history -- before the world was categorized and regulated by mortal minds, before solid boundaries formed between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-thubron/once-at-the-dreaming-dawn-of-history-before-the-world-was-categorized/) [Colin Thubron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-thubron/) > [“And he will have a great aunt called Elinor who tells him there's a world not like this one. A world with neither fairies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornelia-funke/and-he-will-have-a-great-aunt-called-elinor-who-tells-him-there-s-a/) [Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornelia-funke/) > [I had this imaginary world where fairies were my friends. If you told six-year-old Juno that she'd one day play a Disney fairy, she'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juno-temple/i-had-this-imaginary-world-where-fairies-were-my-friends-if-you-told/) [Juno Temple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juno-temple/) > [Come and trip it as ye go On the light fantastic toe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/come-and-trip-it-as-ye-go-on-the-light-fantastic-toe/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Dance till the stars come down from the rafters Dance, Dance, Dance 'till you drop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/dance-till-the-stars-come-down-from-the-rafters-dance-dance-dance/) [W. H. 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The dancing is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isadora-duncan/man-must-speak-then-sing-then-dance-the-speaking-is-the-brain-the/) [Isadora Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isadora-duncan/) > [Anywhere everywhere! Anything anyhow! just dance!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/anywhere-everywhere-anything-anyhow-just-dance/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The secret of this kind of climbing, is like Zen. Don't think. Just dance along. 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King James used to call for his old shoes; they were the easiest for his feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/old-friends-are-best-king-james-used-to-call-for-his-old-shoes-they/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [Pleasures are all alike simply considered in themselves: he that hunts, or he that governs the commonwealth, they both please themselves alike, only we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/pleasures-are-all-alike-simply-considered-in-themselves-he-that-hunts/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [We pick out a text here and there to make it serve our turn; whereas , if we take it all together, and considered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/we-pick-out-a-text-here-and-there-to-make-it-serve-our-turn-whereas/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [Talk what you will of the Jews,--that they are cursed: they thrive wherever they come; they are able to oblige the prince of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/talk-what-you-will-of-the-jews-that-they-are-cursed-they-thrive/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [They that are against superstition oftentimes run into it of the wrong side. If I wear all colors but black, then I am superstitious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/they-that-are-against-superstition-oftentimes-run-into-it-of-the/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [The world cannot be governed without juggling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/the-world-cannot-be-governed-without-juggling/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [Preaching, in the first sense of the word, ceased as soon as ever the gospel was written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/preaching-in-the-first-sense-of-the-word-ceased-as-soon-as-ever-the/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [Preachers say, "Do as I say, not as I do." But if a physician had the same disease upon him that I have, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/preachers-say-do-as-i-say-not-as-i-do-but-if-a-physician-had-the-same/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) [Explore all 91 John Selden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) ## More Dance quotes > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [I studied all kinds of dance, all types of music. I got good grades. I started hitting the recording studio around 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-derulo/i-studied-all-kinds-of-dance-all-types-of-music-i-got-good-grades-i/) [Jason Derulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-derulo/) > [I like Sam Smith and Taylor Swift. I love pop music, but I also like Sam Smith's slow songs. That would be more to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maddie-ziegler/i-like-sam-smith-and-taylor-swift-i-love-pop-music-but-i-also-like/) [Maddie Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maddie-ziegler/) > [I think it's useful to experience other types of dance and other cultures, and the life of a classical dancer these days is certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-bull/i-think-it-s-useful-to-experience-other-types-of-dance-and-other/) [Deborah Bull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-bull/) > [Everything in dancing is style, allusion, the essence of many thoughts and feelings. The abstraction of many moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/everything-in-dancing-is-style-allusion-the-essence-of-many-thoughts/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“dances with mine as if we’ve been doing this our whole”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-michaels/dances-with-mine-as-if-we-ve-been-doing-this-our-whole/) [Corinne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-michaels/) > [My body was so instrumental to how I took pictures: it was practically a dance. I used to use my legs a lot; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-body-was-so-instrumental-to-how-i-took-pictures-it-was-practically/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/i-would-rather-learn-from-one-bird-how-to-sing-than-to-teach-10-000/) [e. e. cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [If you dance, you dance because you have to. Every dancer hurts, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunham/if-you-dance-you-dance-because-you-have-to-every-dancer-hurts-you-know/) [Katherine Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunham/) > [I'm not a dancer. Never took a dance class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrishell-stause/i-m-not-a-dancer-never-took-a-dance-class/) [Chrishell Stause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrishell-stause/) > [Being fit is the easiest part of being a dance professional. I used to just throw on a backpack full of rocks and run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-du-beke/being-fit-is-the-easiest-part-of-being-a-dance-professional-i-used-to/) [Anton du Beke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-du-beke/) > [I'm a horrible dancer, but I wanted to record songs that made me want to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lane/i-m-a-horrible-dancer-but-i-wanted-to-record-songs-that-made-me-want/) [Chris Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lane/) [Browse all 9,682 Dance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There was never a merry world since the fairies left off dancing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Selden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the-fairies-left-off-dancing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the-fairies-left-off-dancing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/john-selden-7457_dance_there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the_902282.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/john-selden-7457_dance_there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the_902282.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bb/john-selden-7457_dance_there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the_902282.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There was never a merry world since the fairies left off dancing.” — John Selden", "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": "John Selden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There was never a merry world...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the-fairies-left-off-dancing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/there-was-never-a-merry-world-since-the-fairies-left-off-dancing/#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 } } ] } ```