Marriage Quote by Michael Ondaatje
““Seas move away, why not lovers? The harbours of Ephesus, the rivers of Heraclitus disappear and are replaced by estuaries of silt. The wife of Candaules becomes the wife of Gyges. Libraries burn.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The English Patient, 1992
The passage uses metaphorical geography to illustrate how love and history shift, erode, and transform over time, suggesting impermanence and cyclical change.
In simple terms: Love and history are fluid, constantly changing.
Key Takeaway
Embrace change and the fleeting nature of relationships.
Themes
love
history
impermanence
change
metaphor
Mood
melancholic
poetic
Type
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- Romantic relationships
- historical research
- urban development
- archival work
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
transience
cultural memory
personal identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal “harbors” have you lost?
- How do you preserve meaning amid change?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize loss without addressing its pain.
![“I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to [when I started my career], because so many things are on the road. I just don't want to be away from my husband, my dogs and my home. I don't sing that much any more because that also takes you on the road.” quote by Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/07c/jane-powell-36243_away-from-home_i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s_278.jpg)
