---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Keen winter stabs the breasts of May…"
description: "\"“Keen winter stabs the breasts of May Whose crimson roses burst his frost, Ships tempest-tossed Will find a harbour in some bay, And so we may.”\" — Osc..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/oscar-wilde-16_change_keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-who_1126366.jpg"
---

#  Keen winter stabs the breasts of May Whose crimson roses…

![“Keen winter stabs the breasts of May Whose crimson roses burst his frost, Ships tempest-tossed Will find a harbour in some bay, And so we may.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/oscar-wilde-16_change_keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-who_1126366.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/oscar-wilde-16_change_keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-who_1126366.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/oscar-wilde-16_change_keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-who_1126366.jpg)

> ““Keen winter stabs the breasts of May Whose crimson roses burst his frost, Ships tempest-tossed Will find a harbour in some bay, And so we may.””

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

## About This Quote

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

Contrasting harsh winter with blooming spring, suggesting hope persists amid adversity.

**In simple terms:** Winter is harsh but spring still blooms.

Key Takeaway

Find hope even in difficult times.

Themes

hope contrast nature

Mood

melancholic hopeful

Type

poetic inspirational

When to use this quote

- gardening
- seasonal change
- emotional recovery

Key Concepts

resilience beauty in hardship

Questions to Reflect On

- What does the winter symbolize for you?
- How can you nurture hope in bleak moments?

A Different Perspective

May romanticize struggle without action.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Flowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flowers/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter/)

## Related quotes

> [All men leave the harbour of youth, but only few reach the very far island of wisdom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/all-men-leave-the-harbour-of-youth-but-only-few-reach-the-very-far/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [It is that dream we carry that something miraculous will happen that it must happen - that time will open that the heart will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olav-h-hauge/it-is-that-dream-we-carry-that-something-miraculous-will-happen-that/)

[Olav H. Hauge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olav-h-hauge/)

> [The feeling of being an underdog, not belonging, is very much me. You harbour a little feeling of resentment towards the 'upper dog'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-larsson/the-feeling-of-being-an-underdog-not-belonging-is-very-much-me-you/)

[Asa Larsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-larsson/)

> [When this war is over, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-halsey/when-this-war-is-over-the-japanese-language-will-be-spoken-only-in/)

[William Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-halsey/)

> [Instead of decaying in a safe harbour, sail to the unsafe oceans!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/instead-of-decaying-in-a-safe-harbour-sail-to-the-unsafe-oceans/)

[Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/)

> [Of course I know that the twins are only words on a page, and I'm certainly not the sort of writer who talks to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-faber/of-course-i-know-that-the-twins-are-only-words-on-a-page-and-i-m/)

[Michel Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-faber/)

> [My boat is nearing the calm harbour from which it is never more to be driven out. Glory, glory unto Mother! (Referring to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/my-boat-is-nearing-the-calm-harbour-from-which-it-is-never-more-to-be/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [If 30 Australians drowned in Sydney Harbour, it would be a national tragedy. But when 30 or more refugees drown off the Australian coast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-flanagan/if-30-australians-drowned-in-sydney-harbour-it-would-be-a-national/)

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

> [Khadi has been conceived as the foundation and the image of ahimsa. A real khadi-wearer will not utter an untruth. A real khadi-wearer will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/khadi-has-been-conceived-as-the-foundation-and-the-image-of-ahimsa-a/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [A ship in harbour is safe, but it's not fulfilling its potential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/a-ship-in-harbour-is-safe-but-it-s-not-fulfilling-its-potential/)

[Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/)

> [In political activity, then, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea; there is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-joseph-oakeshott/in-political-activity-then-men-sail-a-boundless-and-bottomless-sea/)

[Michael Joseph Oakeshott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-joseph-oakeshott/)

> [We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbour them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-will-make-no-distinction-between-the-terrorists-who-committed/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [The most amazing thing to me about the sea is the tide. A harbour like St. Ives is totally transformed in a very short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer/the-most-amazing-thing-to-me-about-the-sea-is-the-tide-a-harbour-like/)

[John Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer/)

> [Rock pools, so-named because they have been hammered out of rocks at the ocean's edge, are one of Sydney's defining characteristics, along with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-bonner/rock-pools-so-named-because-they-have-been-hammered-out-of-rocks-at/)

[Raymond Bonner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-bonner/)

> [The solitude lends much appeal, because a sea without a harbour surrounds it. Even a modest boat can find few anchorage, and nobody can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tacitus/the-solitude-lends-much-appeal-because-a-sea-without-a-harbour/)

[Tacitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tacitus/)

## More by Oscar Wilde

> [How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/how-else-but-through-a-broken-heart-may-lord-christ-enter-in/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-books-that-the-world-calls-immoral-are-the-books-that-show-the/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Bachelors should be heavily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/bachelors-should-be-heavily-taxed-it-is-not-fair-that-some-men-should/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Who, being loved, is poor?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/who-being-loved-is-poor/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Basil my dear boy puts everything that is charming in him into his work. The consequence is that he has nothing left for life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/basil-my-dear-boy-puts-everything-that-is-charming-in-him-into-his/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Anybody can be good in the country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/anybody-can-be-good-in-the-country/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [I don't at all like knowing what people say of me behind my back. It makes me far too conceited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-don-t-at-all-like-knowing-what-people-say-of-me-behind-my-back-it/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Alles Populäre ist falsch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/alles-popul-re-ist-falsch/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“If these elements of beauty are real, the whole thing simply appeals to our sense of dramatic effect. Suddenly we find that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/if-these-elements-of-beauty-are-real-the-whole-thing-simply-appeals/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-love-one-s-self-is-the-beginning-of-a-life-long-romance/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [“Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/those-who-find-beautiful-meanings-in-beautiful-things-are-the/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Men always want to be a womans first love. Women have a more subtle instinct: What they like is to be a mans last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/men-always-want-to-be-a-womans-first-love-women-have-a-more-subtle/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Why is it that at a bachelor's establishment the servants invariably drink the champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/why-is-it-that-at-a-bachelor-s-establishment-the-servants-invariably/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Moderation is a fatal thing. Enough is as bad as a meal. More than enough is as good as a feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/moderation-is-a-fatal-thing-enough-is-as-bad-as-a-meal-more-than/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

> [Beauty is the only thing that time cannot harm. Philosophies fall away like sand, creeds follow one another, but what is beautiful is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/beauty-is-the-only-thing-that-time-cannot-harm-philosophies-fall-away/)

[Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

[Explore all 3,343 Oscar Wilde quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/)

## More Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

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

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

Phil Hogan

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

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

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Keen winter stabs the breasts of May Whose crimson roses burst his frost, Ships tempest-tossed Will find a harbour in some bay, And so we may.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Oscar Wilde"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-whose-crimson-roses-burst-his/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-whose-crimson-roses-burst-his/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/oscar-wilde-16_change_keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-who_1126366.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/oscar-wilde-16_change_keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-who_1126366.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb6/oscar-wilde-16_change_keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-who_1126366.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Keen winter stabs the breasts of May Whose crimson roses burst his frost, Ships tempest-tossed Will find a…” — Oscar Wilde",
                "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": "Oscar Wilde",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Keen winter stabs the breasts of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-whose-crimson-roses-burst-his/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/keen-winter-stabs-the-breasts-of-may-whose-crimson-roses-burst-his/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
