--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like two doomed ships that pass in storm…" description: "\"“Like two doomed ships that pass in storm We had crossed each other's way: But we made no sign, we said no word, We had no word to say; For we did not ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/oscar-wilde-16_holy-night_like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm_2427076.jpg" --- # Like two doomed ships that pass in storm We had crossed… ![“Like two doomed ships that pass in storm We had crossed each other's way: But we made no sign, we said no word, We had no word to say; For we did not meet in the holy night, But in the shameful day.” quote by Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/oscar-wilde-16_holy-night_like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm_2427076.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/oscar-wilde-16_holy-night_like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm_2427076.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/oscar-wilde-16_holy-night_like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm_2427076.jpg) > ““Like two doomed ships that pass in storm We had crossed each other's way: But we made no sign, we said no word, We had no word to say; For we did not meet in the holy night, But in the shameful day.”” [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. Two people miss each other’s signals, leading to unfulfilled connection and regret. **In simple terms:** Missed signals cause regret. Key Takeaway Communicate clearly to avoid missed connections. Themes communication regret missed opportunities Mood reflective melancholic Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - relationships - missed meetings - unspoken feelings Key Concepts human connection timing Questions to Reflect On - What prevented them from speaking? - How can you ensure you’re heard? A Different Perspective Silence can deepen loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Holy night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-night/) ## Related quotes > [Like two doomed ships that pass in storm we had crossed each other's way: but we made no sign, we said no word, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm-we-had-crossed-each-other-s/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [“All we who write put me in mind of sailors hastily making rafts upon doomed ships. When we break up under the heavy years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-dunsany/all-we-who-write-put-me-in-mind-of-sailors-hastily-making-rafts-upon/) [Lord Dunsany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-dunsany/) > [“as we watched seaward-moving ships pass between the cliffs of burning skyline, she said: 'years from now, years and years, one of those ships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/as-we-watched-seaward-moving-ships-pass-between-the-cliffs-of-burning/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/ships-that-pass-in-the-night-and-speak-each-other-in-passing-only-a/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [Christmas is ... a time to mark our progress through this earthly journey. Every December we can look back and marvel at the designs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kingsbury/christmas-is-a-time-to-mark-our-progress-through-this-earthly-journey-2/) [Karen Kingsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kingsbury/) > [I always hated 'O Holy Night.' It's so operatic and overwrought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-always-hated-o-holy-night-it-s-so-operatic-and-overwrought/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [The Holy Night We sate among the stalls at Bethlehem; The dumb kine from their fodder turning them, Softened their horned faces To almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/the-holy-night-we-sate-among-the-stalls-at-bethlehem-the-dumb-kine/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [“That’s what Hringkälla celebrates,” continued Brum. “And every year if there are worthy initiates, the drüskelle gather at the sacred ash, where they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/that-s-what-hringk-lla-celebrates-continued-brum-and-every-year-if/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [I sang "O Holy Night" in a school choir. My mother came and listened to me and complimented me. So that was the high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-sang-o-holy-night-in-a-school-choir-my-mother-came-and-listened-to/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Too long now things divine have been cheaply used And all the power of heaven, the kindly, spent In trifling waste by cold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-h-lderlin/too-long-now-things-divine-have-been-cheaply-used-and-all-the-power/) [Friedrich Hölderlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-h-lderlin/) > [I did 'Oh Holy Night,' which is one that I grew up listening to because I was in choir in high school and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/i-did-oh-holy-night-which-is-one-that-i-grew-up-listening-to-because/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Silent night, holy night, when the bough flies from the tree and is hung everywhere, when from tables the crusts fly, when the gifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingeborg-bachmann/silent-night-holy-night-when-the-bough-flies-from-the-tree-and-is/) [Ingeborg Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingeborg-bachmann/) > [The mystery of the Holy Night, which historically happened two thousand years ago, must be lived as a spiritual event in the 'today' of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-mystery-of-the-holy-night-which-historically-happened-two/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Each night a child is born is a holy night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-lyon-fahs/each-night-a-child-is-born-is-a-holy-night/) [Sophia Lyon Fahs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-lyon-fahs/) > [O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, it is the night of the dear Savior's birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/o-holy-night-the-stars-are-brightly-shining-it-is-the-night-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## 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 Holy night quotes > [O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining, it is the night of the dear Savior's birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/o-holy-night-the-stars-are-brightly-shining-it-is-the-night-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Each night a child is born is a holy night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-lyon-fahs/each-night-a-child-is-born-is-a-holy-night/) [Sophia Lyon Fahs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-lyon-fahs/) > [The mystery of the Holy Night, which historically happened two thousand years ago, must be lived as a spiritual event in the 'today' of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-mystery-of-the-holy-night-which-historically-happened-two/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Silent night, holy night, when the bough flies from the tree and is hung everywhere, when from tables the crusts fly, when the gifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingeborg-bachmann/silent-night-holy-night-when-the-bough-flies-from-the-tree-and-is/) [Ingeborg Bachmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingeborg-bachmann/) > [I did 'Oh Holy Night,' which is one that I grew up listening to because I was in choir in high school and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/i-did-oh-holy-night-which-is-one-that-i-grew-up-listening-to-because/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [“Too long now things divine have been cheaply used And all the power of heaven, the kindly, spent In trifling waste by cold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-h-lderlin/too-long-now-things-divine-have-been-cheaply-used-and-all-the-power/) [Friedrich Hölderlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-h-lderlin/) > [I sang "O Holy Night" in a school choir. My mother came and listened to me and complimented me. So that was the high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/i-sang-o-holy-night-in-a-school-choir-my-mother-came-and-listened-to/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“That’s what Hringkälla celebrates,” continued Brum. “And every year if there are worthy initiates, the drüskelle gather at the sacred ash, where they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/that-s-what-hringk-lla-celebrates-continued-brum-and-every-year-if/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [The Holy Night We sate among the stalls at Bethlehem; The dumb kine from their fodder turning them, Softened their horned faces To almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/the-holy-night-we-sate-among-the-stalls-at-bethlehem-the-dumb-kine/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [I always hated 'O Holy Night.' It's so operatic and overwrought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/i-always-hated-o-holy-night-it-s-so-operatic-and-overwrought/) [Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/) > [Christmas is ... a time to mark our progress through this earthly journey. Every December we can look back and marvel at the designs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kingsbury/christmas-is-a-time-to-mark-our-progress-through-this-earthly-journey-2/) [Karen Kingsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kingsbury/) > [I went to Catholic grade school, so we sang a lot of religious songs: 'O Holy Night,' 'Silent Night.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mcdonald/i-went-to-catholic-grade-school-so-we-sang-a-lot-of-religious-songs-o/) [Michael McDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mcdonald/) > [I sang 'O Holy Night' with the Vatican orchestra, but also a Blake - a lullaby that William Blake wrote for the Christ child,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-sang-o-holy-night-with-the-vatican-orchestra-but-also-a-blake-a/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [I love 'O Holy Night.' On Christmas Eve, there's a service at the church where I grew up, and at midnight, we would always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-boston/i-love-o-holy-night-on-christmas-eve-there-s-a-service-at-the-church/) [Rachel Boston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-boston/) > [Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon Virgin Mother and Child. Holy Infant so tender and mild. Sleep in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mohr/silent-night-holy-night-all-is-calm-all-is-bright-round-yon-virgin/) Joseph Mohr [Browse all 19 Holy night quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-night/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Like two doomed ships that pass in storm We had crossed each other's way: But we made no sign, we said no word, We had no word to say; For we did not meet in the holy night, But in the shameful day.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Wilde" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm-we-had-crossed-each-other-s-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Holy night" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm-we-had-crossed-each-other-s-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/oscar-wilde-16_holy-night_like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm_2427076.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/oscar-wilde-16_holy-night_like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm_2427076.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1e/oscar-wilde-16_holy-night_like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm_2427076.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Like two doomed ships that pass in storm We had crossed each other's way: But we made no sign, we said no…” — 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": "“Like two doomed ships that pass...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm-we-had-crossed-each-other-s-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/like-two-doomed-ships-that-pass-in-storm-we-had-crossed-each-other-s-2/#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 } } ] } ```