--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A great man once wrote, \"Absence…" description: "\"A great man once wrote, \"Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.\" If only I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/karen-white-8183_absence_a-great-man-once-wrote-absence-diminishe_1746616.jpg" --- # A great man once wrote, "Absence diminishes small loves… ![“A great man once wrote, "Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire." If only I were as eloquent as Mr. de la Rochefoucauld...I miss you, I miss you, I miss you. And I want you. And I need your kiss. And your touch on my skin…” quote by Karen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/karen-white-8183_absence_a-great-man-once-wrote-absence-diminishe_1746616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/karen-white-8183_absence_a-great-man-once-wrote-absence-diminishe_1746616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/karen-white-8183_absence_a-great-man-once-wrote-absence-diminishe_1746616.jpg) > “A great man once wrote, "Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire." If only I were as eloquent as Mr. de la Rochefoucauld...I miss you, I miss you, I miss you. And I want you. And I need your kiss. And your touch on my skin like a man needs water. Always.” [Karen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-white/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love intensifies when absent, like a candle fading versus a bonfire growing, illustrating how distance can amplify deep affection. **In simple terms:** Absence makes love stronger. Key Takeaway Cherish deep connections despite distance. Themes love absence intensity longing metaphor Mood melancholic passionate Type romantic literary When to use this quote - relationships - writing - personal reflection Key Concepts psychology literature emotional dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does distance affect your relationships? - Can longing be both painful and enriching? A Different Perspective May romanticize unhealthy longing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Candle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candle/) [Eloquent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eloquent/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Kissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissing/) [La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/la-rochefoucauld/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) ## Related quotes > [Unlike the majority of the writers of his age, La Rochefoucauld was an aristocrat; and this fact gives a peculiar tone to his work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lytton-strachey/unlike-the-majority-of-the-writers-of-his-age-la-rochefoucauld-was-an/) [Lytton Strachey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lytton-strachey/) > [Poor people know poor people, and rich people know rich people. 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Scott Fitzgerald’s This Side of Paradise in my arms as if to let it go would”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-white/let-the-story-go-and-still-clutched-f-scott-fitzgerald-s-this-side-of/) [Karen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-white/) [Explore all 82 Karen White quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-white/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. 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Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A great man once wrote, \"Absence diminishes small loves and increases great ones, as the wind blows out the candle and blows up the bonfire.\" If only I were as eloquent as Mr. de la Rochefoucauld...I miss you, I miss you, I miss you. And I want you. And I need your kiss. And your touch on my skin like a man needs water. 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