---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was more to say, but for once we…"
description: "\"“There was more to say, but for once we did not say it. There would be other times for speaking, tonight and tomorrow and all the days after that. He l..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/madeline-miller-2938_the-song-of-achilles_there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-di_2672204.jpg"
---

#  There was more to say, but for once we did not say it…

![“There was more to say, but for once we did not say it. There would be other times for speaking, tonight and tomorrow and all the days after that. He let go of my hand.” quote by Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/madeline-miller-2938_the-song-of-achilles_there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-di_2672204.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/madeline-miller-2938_the-song-of-achilles_there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-di_2672204.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/madeline-miller-2938_the-song-of-achilles_there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-di_2672204.jpg)

> ““There was more to say, but for once we did not say it. There would be other times for speaking, tonight and tomorrow and all the days after that. He let go of my hand.””

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

## About This Quote

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

The narrator notes missed opportunities for speech, suggesting timing matters for expression.

**In simple terms:** Sometimes waiting to speak is appropriate.

Key Takeaway

Choose the right moment to speak.

Themes

timing expression patience

Mood

contemplative poetic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- personal conflicts
- negotiations
- creative writing

Key Concepts

speech timing emotional restraint

Questions to Reflect On

- When is silence more powerful than words?
- How does timing affect message impact?

A Different Perspective

Silence may be misinterpreted as indifference.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[The-song-of-achilles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-song-of-achilles/) [Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tomorrow/) [Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic/)

## Related quotes

> [“This was a man who moved like the gods were watching: every gesture he made was upright and correct. There was no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/this-was-a-man-who-moved-like-the-gods-were-watching-every-gesture-he/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Later Achilles would play the lyre, as Chiron and I listened. My mother's lyre. He had brought it with him. 'I wish I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/later-achilles-would-play-the-lyre-as-chiron-and-i-listened-my-mother/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I saw then how I had changed. I did not mind anymore that I lost when we raced and I lost when we swam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-saw-then-how-i-had-changed-i-did-not-mind-anymore-that-i-lost-when/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Chiron had once said that nations were the most foolish of mortal inventions. 'No man is worth more than another, wherever he is from.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/chiron-had-once-said-that-nations-were-the-most-foolish-of-mortal/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I have done it,' she says. At first I do not understand. But then I see the tomb, and the marks she has made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-have-done-it-she-says-at-first-i-do-not-understand-but-then-i-see-2/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Name one hero who was happy." "You can't." He was sitting up now, leaning forward. "I can't." "I know. They never let you be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/name-one-hero-who-was-happy-you-can-t-he-was-sitting-up-now-leaning/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I could not make him a god,' she says. Her jagged voice, rich with grief. But you made him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-could-not-make-him-a-god-she-says-her-jagged-voice-rich-with-grief/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“We are all there, goddess and mortal and the boy who was both.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/we-are-all-there-goddess-and-mortal-and-the-boy-who-was-both/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“She made Pyrrhus, and loved him more than Achilles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/she-made-pyrrhus-and-loved-him-more-than-achilles/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I conjure the boy I knew. Achilles, grinning as the figs blur in his hands. His green eyes laughing into mine. Catch, he says.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-conjure-the-boy-i-knew-achilles-grinning-as-the-figs-blur-in-his/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“There is no law that gods must be fair, Achilles,' Chiron said. 'And perhaps it is a greater grief, after all, to be left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/there-is-no-law-that-gods-must-be-fair-achilles-chiron-said-and/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“We reached for each other, and I thought of how many nights I had lain awake loving him in silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/we-reached-for-each-other-and-i-thought-of-how-many-nights-i-had-lain/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Briseis is kneeling by my body. She has brought water and cloth, and washes the blood and dirt from my skin. Her hands are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/briseis-is-kneeling-by-my-body-she-has-brought-water-and-cloth-and/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Her mouth tightens. 'Have you no more memories?' I am made of memories. 'Speak, then.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/her-mouth-tightens-have-you-no-more-memories-i-am-made-of-memories/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Turn your tongue seven times before speaking. This way you'll have time to think if you ought to say the things you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaddey-ratner/turn-your-tongue-seven-times-before-speaking-this-way-you-ll-have/)

[Vaddey Ratner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaddey-ratner/)

## More by Madeline Miller

> [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“This was a man who moved like the gods were watching: every gesture he made was upright and correct. There was no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/this-was-a-man-who-moved-like-the-gods-were-watching-every-gesture-he/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Bury us, and mark our names above. Let us be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/bury-us-and-mark-our-names-above-let-us-be-free/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Patroclus, he says, Patroclus. Patroclus. Over and over until it is sound only.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/patroclus-he-says-patroclus-patroclus-over-and-over-until-it-is-sound/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“True is what men believe, and they believe this of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/true-is-what-men-believe-and-they-believe-this-of-you/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Strange that such a small kindness felt like grace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/strange-that-such-a-small-kindness-felt-like-grace/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Briseis is kneeling by my body. She has brought water and cloth, and washes the blood and dirt from my skin. Her hands are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/briseis-is-kneeling-by-my-body-she-has-brought-water-and-cloth-and/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [Odysseus inclines his head. "True. But fame is a strange thing. Some men gain glory after they die, while others fade. What is admired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/odysseus-inclines-his-head-true-but-fame-is-a-strange-thing-some-men/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I would like to say that all the while I waited to break out, but the truth is, I'm afraid I might have floated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-would-like-to-say-that-all-the-while-i-waited-to-break-out-but-the/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I gaped at the cold shock of his beauty, deep-green eyes, features fine as a girl's. It struck from me a sudden, springing dislike.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-gaped-at-the-cold-shock-of-his-beauty-deep-green-eyes-features-fine/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [I found myself grinning until my cheeks hurt, my scalp prickling till I thought it might lift off my head. My tongue ran away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-found-myself-grinning-until-my-cheeks-hurt-my-scalp-prickling-till/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/when-he-died-all-things-soft-and-beautiful-and-bright-would-be-buried/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Bring him back to me,' he told them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/bring-him-back-to-me-he-told-them/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Her mouth was a gash of red, like the torn-open stomach of a sacrifice, bloody and oracular. Behind it her teeth shone sharp and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/her-mouth-was-a-gash-of-red-like-the-torn-open-stomach-of-a-sacrifice/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [and her skin shone luminous and impossibly pale, as if it drank light from the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/and-her-skin-shone-luminous-and-impossibly-pale-as-if-it-drank-light/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

[Explore all 142 Madeline Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

## More The-song-of-achilles quotes

> [“This was a man who moved like the gods were watching: every gesture he made was upright and correct. There was no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/this-was-a-man-who-moved-like-the-gods-were-watching-every-gesture-he/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Briseis is kneeling by my body. She has brought water and cloth, and washes the blood and dirt from my skin. Her hands are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/briseis-is-kneeling-by-my-body-she-has-brought-water-and-cloth-and/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“We reached for each other, and I thought of how many nights I had lain awake loving him in silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/we-reached-for-each-other-and-i-thought-of-how-many-nights-i-had-lain/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“There is no law that gods must be fair, Achilles,' Chiron said. 'And perhaps it is a greater grief, after all, to be left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/there-is-no-law-that-gods-must-be-fair-achilles-chiron-said-and/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I conjure the boy I knew. Achilles, grinning as the figs blur in his hands. His green eyes laughing into mine. Catch, he says.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-conjure-the-boy-i-knew-achilles-grinning-as-the-figs-blur-in-his/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Our goddess of the moon is gifted with magic, with power over the dead. She could banish the dreams, if she wished. She did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-miller/our-goddess-of-the-moon-is-gifted-with-magic-with-power-over-the-dead/)

Madeleine Miller

> [“She made Pyrrhus, and loved him more than Achilles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/she-made-pyrrhus-and-loved-him-more-than-achilles/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“We are all there, goddess and mortal and the boy who was both.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/we-are-all-there-goddess-and-mortal-and-the-boy-who-was-both/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I could not make him a god,' she says. Her jagged voice, rich with grief. But you made him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-could-not-make-him-a-god-she-says-her-jagged-voice-rich-with-grief/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Name one hero who was happy." "You can't." He was sitting up now, leaning forward. "I can't." "I know. They never let you be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/name-one-hero-who-was-happy-you-can-t-he-was-sitting-up-now-leaning/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I have done it,' she says. At first I do not understand. But then I see the tomb, and the marks she has made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-have-done-it-she-says-at-first-i-do-not-understand-but-then-i-see-2/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“The presence of the other boys did not comfort me; our dead come for their vengeance regardless if witnesses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-miller/the-presence-of-the-other-boys-did-not-comfort-me-our-dead-come-for/)

Madeleine Miller

> [“Chiron had once said that nations were the most foolish of mortal inventions. 'No man is worth more than another, wherever he is from.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/chiron-had-once-said-that-nations-were-the-most-foolish-of-mortal/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“I saw then how I had changed. I did not mind anymore that I lost when we raced and I lost when we swam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-saw-then-how-i-had-changed-i-did-not-mind-anymore-that-i-lost-when/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [“Later Achilles would play the lyre, as Chiron and I listened. My mother's lyre. He had brought it with him. 'I wish I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/later-achilles-would-play-the-lyre-as-chiron-and-i-listened-my-mother/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

[Browse all 17 The-song-of-achilles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/the-song-of-achilles/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“There was more to say, but for once we did not say it. There would be other times for speaking, tonight and tomorrow and all the days after that. He let go of my hand.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Madeline Miller"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-did-not-say-it-there-would-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "The-song-of-achilles"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-did-not-say-it-there-would-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/madeline-miller-2938_the-song-of-achilles_there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-di_2672204.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/madeline-miller-2938_the-song-of-achilles_there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-di_2672204.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b6/madeline-miller-2938_the-song-of-achilles_there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-di_2672204.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There was more to say, but for once we did not say it. There would be other times for speaking, tonight and…” — Madeline Miller",
                "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": "Madeline Miller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“There was more to say, but...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-did-not-say-it-there-would-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/there-was-more-to-say-but-for-once-we-did-not-say-it-there-would-be/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
