--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is there a more pitiable spectacle than…" description: "\"Is there a more pitiable spectacle than that of a wife contending with others for that charm in her husband's sight which no philters and no prayers ca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/ouida-3651_bars_is-there-a-more-pitiable-spectacle-than_543900.png" --- # Is there a more pitiable spectacle than that of a wife… ![“Is there a more pitiable spectacle than that of a wife contending with others for that charm in her husband's sight which no philters and no prayers can renew when once it has fled forever? Women are so unwise. Love is like a bird's song beautiful and eloquent when heard in forest freedom, harsh…” quote by Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/ouida-3651_bars_is-there-a-more-pitiable-spectacle-than_543900.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/ouida-3651_bars_is-there-a-more-pitiable-spectacle-than_543900.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd2/ouida-3651_bars_is-there-a-more-pitiable-spectacle-than_543900.png) > “Is there a more pitiable spectacle than that of a wife contending with others for that charm in her husband's sight which no philters and no prayers can renew when once it has fled forever? Women are so unwise. Love is like a bird's song beautiful and eloquent when heard in forest freedom, harsh and worthless in repetition when sung from behind prison bars. You cannot secure love by vigilance, by environment, by captivity. What use is it to keep the person of a man beside you if his soul be truant from you?” [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Love cannot be forced or kept by control; it thrives only in freedom and mutual respect, otherwise it with and becomes meaningless. **In simple terms:** Love needs freedom, not control. Key Takeaway Allow love to breathe, don’t try to imprison it. Themes love freedom control trust relationships Mood reflective melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical advice literary When to use this quote - marriage counseling - personal boundaries - relationship building - self‑reflection - emotional health Key Concepts autonomy mutual respect authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance caring for a partner with respecting their independence? - What signs show love is becoming a prison? A Different Perspective Attempting to control love often leads to resentment and loss of genuine connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Captivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captivity/) [Charm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charm/) [Eloquent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eloquent/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Forests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forests/) [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vigilance/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [“...unwise love is the truest love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/unwise-love-is-the-truest-love/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“We love what we love. Reason does not enter into it. In many ways, unwise love is the truest love. Anyone can love a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/we-love-what-we-love-reason-does-not-enter-into-it-in-many-ways/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Your people are not unwise, after all: love of the perfect Deity may prevent us from loving imperfect man! But God's will is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-j-bishop/your-people-are-not-unwise-after-all-love-of-the-perfect-deity-may/) [K.J. Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-j-bishop/) > [“It had flaws, but what does that matter when it comes to matters of the heart? We love what we love. Reason does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-had-flaws-but-what-does-that-matter-when-it-comes-to-matters-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Remember that your ultimate goal is for your children to grow up secure in your love, strong in their faith, and with sound character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/remember-that-your-ultimate-goal-is-for-your-children-to-grow-up/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [A lot of actors, and artists in general, never feel secure in love. They always feel everything's going to be taken away from them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/a-lot-of-actors-and-artists-in-general-never-feel-secure-in-love-they/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [By all means they try to hold me secure who love me in this world. But it is otherwise with thy love which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/by-all-means-they-try-to-hold-me-secure-who-love-me-in-this-world-but/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Jealousy is indeed a poor medium to secure love, but it is a secure medium to destroy one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-goldman/jealousy-is-indeed-a-poor-medium-to-secure-love-but-it-is-a-secure-2/) [Emma Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-goldman/) > [“There are few of us who are secure enough to be within love without proper encouragement - Charlotte Lucas”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/there-are-few-of-us-who-are-secure-enough-to-be-within-love-without/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [In a world of complete economic equality, you get and keep the affections you deserve. You can't buy love with gifts or favors, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-a-world-of-complete-economic-equality-you-get-and-keep-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Always act in such a way as to secure the love of your neighbour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/always-act-in-such-a-way-as-to-secure-the-love-of-your-neighbour/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [I was willing to pay any price including subservience to secure this love, hoping that with each piece of myself I gave up he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-strasberg/i-was-willing-to-pay-any-price-including-subservience-to-secure-this/) [Susan Strasberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-strasberg/) > [Friendship is usually treated...as a tough...thing which will survive all manner of bad treatment. But this is an exceedingly great and foolish error; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/friendship-is-usually-treated-as-a-tough-thing-which-will-survive-all/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Opposition to a man in love is like oil to fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/opposition-to-a-man-in-love-is-like-oil-to-fire/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Running made me feel like a bird let out of a cage, I loved it that much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priscilla-welch/running-made-me-feel-like-a-bird-let-out-of-a-cage-i-loved-it-that/) Priscilla Welch ## More by Ouida > [Sport inevitably creates deadness of feeling. No one could take pleasure in it who was sensitive to suffering; and therefore its pursuit by women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/sport-inevitably-creates-deadness-of-feeling-no-one-could-take/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Indifference is the invincible grant of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/indifference-is-the-invincible-grant-of-the-world/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [When you talk yourself, you think how witty, how original, how acute you are; but when another does so, you are very apt to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/when-you-talk-yourself-you-think-how-witty-how-original-how-acute-you/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Indifference is the invisible giant of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/indifference-is-the-invisible-giant-of-the-world/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [There is nothing that you may not get people to believe in if you will only tell it them loud enough and often enough,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/there-is-nothing-that-you-may-not-get-people-to-believe-in-if-you/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [To vice, innocence must always seem only a superior kind of chicanery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/to-vice-innocence-must-always-seem-only-a-superior-kind-of-chicanery/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [An easy-going husband is the one indispensable comfort of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/an-easy-going-husband-is-the-one-indispensable-comfort-of-life/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Christianity has ever been the enemy of human love; it has forever cursed and expelled and crucified the one passion which sweetens and smiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/christianity-has-ever-been-the-enemy-of-human-love-it-has-forever/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [Genius scorns the power of gold: it is wrong. Gold is the war-scythe on its chariot, which mows down the millions of its foes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/genius-scorns-the-power-of-gold-it-is-wrong-gold-is-the-war-scythe-on/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [There is a self-evident axiom, that she who is born a beauty is half married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/there-is-a-self-evident-axiom-that-she-who-is-born-a-beauty-is-half/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [No great talker ever did any great thing yet, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/no-great-talker-ever-did-any-great-thing-yet-in-this-world/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [The philosopher stands at his desk in the lecture hall, and demonstrates away the soul of man, and with exact thought measures out his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/the-philosopher-stands-at-his-desk-in-the-lecture-hall-and/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [The song that we hear with our ears is only the song that is sung in our hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/the-song-that-we-hear-with-our-ears-is-only-the-song-that-is-sung-in/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [It is a kind of blindness--poverty. We can only grope through life when we are poor, hitting and maiming ourselves against every angle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/it-is-a-kind-of-blindness-poverty-we-can-only-grope-through-life-when/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [A just chastisement may benefit a man, though it seldom does; but an unjust one changes all his blood to gall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/a-just-chastisement-may-benefit-a-man-though-it-seldom-does-but-an/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) [Explore all 125 Ouida quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) ## More Bars quotes > [If, for instance, they have heard something from the postman, they attribute it to a semi-official statement; if they have fallen into conversation with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/if-for-instance-they-have-heard-something-from-the-postman-they/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [The dark ages still reign over all humanity, and the depth and persistence of this domination are only now becoming clear. This Dark Ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/the-dark-ages-still-reign-over-all-humanity-and-the-depth-and/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) > [It wasn't really touching to be young; it was touching not to be young, because you had less of life left. Touching to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-macaulay/it-wasn-t-really-touching-to-be-young-it-was-touching-not-to-be-young/) [Rose Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-macaulay/) > [Your thief looks Exactly like the rest, or rather better; 'Tis only at the bar, and in the dungeon, That wise men know your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/your-thief-looks-exactly-like-the-rest-or-rather-better-tis-only-at/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [While traveling, I love granola bars, trail mix nuts, dry cereal and fruit for on-the-go snacks. I also try and start the day with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-rampone/while-traveling-i-love-granola-bars-trail-mix-nuts-dry-cereal-and/) [Christie Rampone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-rampone/) > [3 people get stranded on a remote Island A Banker, a Daily Mail reader & an Asylum seeker All they have to eat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-brookmyre/3-people-get-stranded-on-a-remote-island-a-banker-a-daily-mail-reader/) [Christopher Brookmyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-brookmyre/) > [Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house unless they have a well-stocked bar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-c-fields/thou-shalt-not-covet-thy-neighbor-s-house-unless-they-have-a-well/) [W. C. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-c-fields/) > [Meanwhile after failing the bar twice, I knew some people in New York and moved here in August '71.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-quine/meanwhile-after-failing-the-bar-twice-i-knew-some-people-in-new-york/) [Robert Quine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-quine/) > [If you look at coffee, tea, food and juice, we think there are inherent opportunities. If you look at health bars or grab-and-go products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/if-you-look-at-coffee-tea-food-and-juice-we-think-there-are-inherent/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [At about 10 o'clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/at-about-10-o-clock-in-the-morning-the-sun-threw-a-bright-dust-laden/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [I bet a guy at a bar 50 bucks that I was more dysfunctional than he was. He raped me. So I tipped him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-a-guy-at-a-bar-50-bucks-that-i-was-more-dysfunctional-than-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I closed my own jazz bar so I could be a man who can write novels as I like. I was pleased about that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-closed-my-own-jazz-bar-so-i-could-be-a-man-who-can-write-novels-as/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [My parents were Orthodox Jews but not very regular Orthodox Jews. I was bar mitzvahed and all that. But God was hardly ever mentioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-parents-were-orthodox-jews-but-not-very-regular-orthodox-jews-i/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [I know a lot about Canadian politics. I lived in Canadian bars for six years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moriarty/i-know-a-lot-about-canadian-politics-i-lived-in-canadian-bars-for-six/) [Michael Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moriarty/) > [History is the heavy traffic that prevents us from crossing the road. We're not especially interested in what it consists of. We wait, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-peet/history-is-the-heavy-traffic-that-prevents-us-from-crossing-the-road/) [Mal Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mal-peet/) Browse all 1,768 Bars quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Is there a more pitiable spectacle than that of a wife contending with others for that charm in her husband's sight which no philters and no prayers can renew when once it has fled forever? Women are so unwise. Love is like a bird's song beautiful and eloquent when heard in forest freedom, harsh and worthless in repetition when sung from behind prison bars. You cannot secure love by vigilance, by environment, by captivity. 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