--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like for you to be still: it is as…" description: "\"“I like for you to be still: it is as though you are absent distant and full of sorrow as though you had died One word then, one smile is enough And I'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/pablo-neruda-435_grief_i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-thou_3140338.jpg" --- # I like for you to be still: it is as though you are absent… ![“I like for you to be still: it is as though you are absent distant and full of sorrow as though you had died One word then, one smile is enough And I'm happy; happy that it's not true” quote by Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/pablo-neruda-435_grief_i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-thou_3140338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/pablo-neruda-435_grief_i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-thou_3140338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/pablo-neruda-435_grief_i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-thou_3140338.jpg) > ““I like for you to be still: it is as though you are absent distant and full of sorrow as though you had died One word then, one smile is enough And I'm happy; happy that it's not true”” [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expresses longing for a lost loved one, finding solace in small joys despite sorrow. **In simple terms:** Missing someone, yet finding comfort in simple moments. Key Takeaway Cherish small moments amid grief. Themes love loss solace memory Mood melancholic hopeful Type poetic reflective When to use this quote - bereavement - daily reflections - creative writing - mental health support Key Concepts existential longing poetic melancholy Questions to Reflect On - What simple act brings you peace now? - How do you honor absent loved ones? A Different Perspective Grief can be overwhelming; small joys may not suffice for all. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Distant Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distant-sorrow-504398/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Happy Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-happy/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smile/) [Smile Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smile-happy/) [Sorrow Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow-died-5592532/) [Word Smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-smile-862569/) ## Related quotes > [If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-a-man-takes-no-thought-about-what-is-distant-he-will-find-sorrow/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/if-a-man-take-no-thought-about-what-is-distant-he-will-find-sorrow/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [People don’t smile because they’re happy. They’re happy because they smile…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-donghae/people-don-t-smile-because-they-re-happy-they-re-happy-because-they/) [Lee Donghae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-donghae/) > [One word,one smile can change everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suraj-ary/one-word-one-smile-can-change-everything/) [Suraj Ary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suraj-ary/) > [A word or a smile is often enough to put fresh life in a despondent soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-word-or-a-smile-is-often-enough-to-put-fresh-life-in-a-despondent/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The longest word is smile becoz ders a mile between the two s](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/the-longest-word-is-smile-becoz-ders-a-mile-between-the-two-s/) [Author Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-name/) > [Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/among-the-things-you-can-give-and-still-keep-are-your-word-a-smile/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [A four letter word that would put a smile on my face for years... FOOD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levita-charin/a-four-letter-word-that-would-put-a-smile-on-my-face-for-years-food/) [Levita Charin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levita-charin/) > [The lngest word is smile coz it has a mile betwen the two s's](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohima-islam/the-lngest-word-is-smile-coz-it-has-a-mile-betwen-the-two-s-s/) [Mohima Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohima-islam/) > [“The word “smile” doesn’t even exist in Latin or Ancient Greek. Smiling was an invention of the Middle Ages, and broad, toothy-mouthed smiles (with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-feldman-barrett/the-word-smile-doesn-t-even-exist-in-latin-or-ancient-greek-smiling/) [Lisa Feldman Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-feldman-barrett/) > [“Asylum. The word always made me smile. Such a pretty name for a hellhole.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/asylum-the-word-always-made-me-smile-such-a-pretty-name-for-a-hellhole/) [jennifer estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/) > [“ I Like For You To Be Still I like for you to be still It is as though you are absent And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-like-for-you-to-be-still-i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-though/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“People don't smile because they're happy, but People are happy because they're smiling”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donghae/people-don-t-smile-because-they-re-happy-but-people-are-happy-because/) [Donghae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donghae/) > [If I smile am happy. And don't care its my life. No need to help. Am doing great and moving forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hellena/if-i-smile-am-happy-and-don-t-care-its-my-life-no-need-to-help-am/) [Hellena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hellena/) > [Im the person who could be hurt inside but still manage to SMILE and be happy outside>>> …](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-princess/im-the-person-who-could-be-hurt-inside-but-still-manage-to-smile-and/) [Ice\_princess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-princess/) ## More by Pablo Neruda > [For me writing is like breathing. I could not live without breathing and I could not live without writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/for-me-writing-is-like-breathing-i-could-not-live-without-breathing/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/you-know-how-this-is-if-i-look-at-the-crystal-moon-at-the-red-branch/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [Our love was born outside the walls, in the wind, in the night, in the earth, and that's why the clay and the flower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/our-love-was-born-outside-the-walls-in-the-wind-in-the-night-in-the/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“I remember only a day that was perhaps never intended for me, it was an incessant day, without origins, Thursday. I was a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-remember-only-a-day-that-was-perhaps-never-intended-for-me-it-was/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“We had, as men, time So our thirst could slowly be satisfied, the ancestral longing to enumerate things and sum them up, to render…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/we-had-as-men-time-so-our-thirst-could-slowly-be-satisfied-the/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [We bear the sole, relentless tenderness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/we-bear-the-sole-relentless-tenderness/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [I don't know who it is who lives or dies, who rests or wakes, but it is your heart that distributes all the graces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-don-t-know-who-it-is-who-lives-or-dies-who-rests-or-wakes-but-it-is/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“Body of a woman, white hills, white thighs, you look like a world, lying in surrender. My rough peasant's body digs in you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/body-of-a-woman-white-hills-white-thighs-you-look-like-a-world-lying/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [We open the halves of a miracle, and a clotting of acids brims into the starry divisions: creation's original juices, irreducible, changeless, alive: so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/we-open-the-halves-of-a-miracle-and-a-clotting-of-acids-brims-into/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“Take bread away from me, if you wish, take air away, but do not take from me your laughter. Do not take away the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/take-bread-away-from-me-if-you-wish-take-air-away-but-do-not-take/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [Perhaps the earth can teach us As when everything seems dead And later proves to be alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/perhaps-the-earth-can-teach-us-as-when-everything-seems-dead-and/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“I am no longer in love with her, that's certain, but maybe I love her. Love is so short, forgetting is so long.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-am-no-longer-in-love-with-her-that-s-certain-but-maybe-i-love-her/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“Body of a woman, white hills, white thighs, you look like a world, lying in surrender.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/body-of-a-woman-white-hills-white-thighs-you-look-like-a-world-lying-2/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“ I Like For You To Be Still I like for you to be still It is as though you are absent And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-like-for-you-to-be-still-i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-though/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [“Tonight I Can Write”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/tonight-i-can-write/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) [Explore all 457 Pablo Neruda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) ## More Grief quotes > [“...they had lived, they'd lived intensely. But no matter how deeply you live, it comes to this in the end: one of you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-morton/they-had-lived-they-d-lived-intensely-but-no-matter-how-deeply-you/) [Brian Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-morton/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [... how much of our inner substance is it good for us to give to public griefs? The whole modern tendency to agonize over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/how-much-of-our-inner-substance-is-it-good-for-us-to-give-to-public/) [Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When we learn to attribute meaning to the events in our lives, we connect with our Higher Purpose, Higher Wisdom, or Source; we become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-barbara-apollon/when-we-learn-to-attribute-meaning-to-the-events-in-our-lives-we/) [Susan Barbara Apollon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-barbara-apollon/) > [Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/only-to-have-a-grief-equal-to-all-these-tears/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [Suppressed grief suffocates, it rages within the breast, and is forced to multiply its strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/suppressed-grief-suffocates-it-rages-within-the-breast-and-is-forced/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [These days grief seems like walking on a frozen river; most of the time he feels safe enough, but there is always that danger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/these-days-grief-seems-like-walking-on-a-frozen-river-most-of-the/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [“You've been my beacon of light in my storm of grief, and I don't know if I could live without you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-ashley/you-ve-been-my-beacon-of-light-in-my-storm-of-grief-and-i-don-t-know/) [Katie Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-ashley/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. The familiar surroundings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hardy/meanwhile-the-trees-were-just-as-green-as-before-the-birds-sang-and/) [Thomas Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hardy/) [Browse all 8,012 Grief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I like for you to be still: it is as though you are absent distant and full of sorrow as though you had died One word then, one smile is enough And I'm happy; happy that it's not true”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pablo Neruda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-though-you-are-absent-distant-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Grief" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-though-you-are-absent-distant-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/pablo-neruda-435_grief_i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-thou_3140338.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/pablo-neruda-435_grief_i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-thou_3140338.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c95/pablo-neruda-435_grief_i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-thou_3140338.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I like for you to be still: it is as though you are absent distant and full of sorrow as though you had died…” — Pablo Neruda", "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": "Pablo Neruda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I like for you to be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-though-you-are-absent-distant-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/i-like-for-you-to-be-still-it-is-as-though-you-are-absent-distant-and/#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 } } ] } ```