---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Loneliness is black coffee and late-night…"
description: "\"Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television; solitude is herb tea and soft music. Solitude, quality solitude, is an assertion of self-worth, b..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/pearl-cleage-10395_black_loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-nigh_1576715.jpg"
---

#  Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television…

![“Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television; solitude is herb tea and soft music. Solitude, quality solitude, is an assertion of self-worth, because only in the stillness can we hear the truth of our own unique voices.” quote by Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/pearl-cleage-10395_black_loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-nigh_1576715.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/pearl-cleage-10395_black_loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-nigh_1576715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/pearl-cleage-10395_black_loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-nigh_1576715.jpg)

> “Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television; solitude is herb tea and soft music. Solitude, quality solitude, is an assertion of self-worth, because only in the stillness can we hear the truth of our own unique voices.”

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

## About This Quote

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

Loneliness feels harsh and isolating, while solitude is a gentle, nurturing state that affirms self-worth and inner truth.

**In simple terms:** Loneliness is harsh; solitude is calm and affirming.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate solitude to hear your inner voice.

Themes

solitude self-worth inner truth

Mood

contemplative peaceful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- late-night routines
- personal reflection
- self-care practices

Key Concepts

psychology mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you differentiate between loneliness and solitude?
- How does solitude strengthen self-worth?

A Different Perspective

Solitude can become loneliness if not balanced with connection.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Black coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-coffee/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Late night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-night/) [Loneliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loneliness/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-worth/) [Solitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitude/) [Stillness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stillness/) [Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/)

## Related quotes

> [Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television; solitude is herb tea and soft music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-night-television-solitude-is-herb/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of the summer. My bank of wild grass is majestic and full of music. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/violette-leduc/i-walk-without-flinching-through-the-burning-cathedral-of-the-summer/)

[Violette Leduc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/violette-leduc/)

> [Deliberately seeking solitude-quality time spent away from family and friends-may seem selfish. It is not. Solitude is as necessary for our creative spirits to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-ban-breathnach/deliberately-seeking-solitude-quality-time-spent-away-from-family-and/)

[Sarah Ban Breathnach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-ban-breathnach/)

> [“Coffee, then. Black.” Adrian scratches his hair under the cap. “So . . . espresso?” “No. Coffee.” Adrian transfers his scratching from hair to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/coffee-then-black-adrian-scratches-his-hair-under-the-cap-so-espresso/)

[Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/)

> [No matter how much strong black coffee we drink, almost any after- dinner speech will counteract it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/no-matter-how-much-strong-black-coffee-we-drink-almost-any-after/)

[Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/)

> [“They sat at a metal table covered by stained and cracked Formica laminate. A huge woman with shoulder-length braids pranced over. Baldwin couldn’t believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/they-sat-at-a-metal-table-covered-by-stained-and-cracked-formica/)

[J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/)

> [“When you do drugs, you count like a chemist: The numbers are wild, the formulas are easy. Then, when you try to get clean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wurtzel/when-you-do-drugs-you-count-like-a-chemist-the-numbers-are-wild-the/)

[Elizabeth Wurtzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wurtzel/)

> [“Come on, Will,” Holly said as she trailed after him into the kitchen. “You know this is a good plan.” “You know it is,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-kennedy/come-on-will-holly-said-as-she-trailed-after-him-into-the-kitchen-you/)

[Elle Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-kennedy/)

> [I like to have straight-up black coffee, but when you get it, sometimes you'll burn your tongue, or it spills on your hands, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hasan-minhaj/i-like-to-have-straight-up-black-coffee-but-when-you-get-it-sometimes/)

[Hasan Minhaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hasan-minhaj/)

> [“Choice- Judgement. Black coffee acid on an empty stomach. Perception. Cool, clear water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keelie-breanna/choice-judgement-black-coffee-acid-on-an-empty-stomach-perception/)

[Keelie Breanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keelie-breanna/)

> [“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/good-communication-is-as-stimulating-as-black-coffee/)

[Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/)

> [In 'Black Coffee' I am not the celluloid avatar of 'Meghe Dhaka Tara' director any more. How can you portray similar characters in two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saswata-chatterjee/in-black-coffee-i-am-not-the-celluloid-avatar-of-meghe-dhaka-tara/)

[Saswata Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saswata-chatterjee/)

> [“When Balzac was working, his writing schedule was brutal: He ate a light dinner at 6:00 P.M., then went to bed. At 1:00 A.M.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-currey/when-balzac-was-working-his-writing-schedule-was-brutal-he-ate-a/)

[Mason Currey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-currey/)

> [Black coffee must be strong and very hot; if strong coffee does not agree with you, do not drink black coffee. And if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-simon/black-coffee-must-be-strong-and-very-hot-if-strong-coffee-does-not/)

[Andre Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-simon/)

> [For four to six months at a time, I would barely eat. I lived on a diet of Melba toast, carrots, and black coffee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-morissette/for-four-to-six-months-at-a-time-i-would-barely-eat-i-lived-on-a-diet/)

[Alanis Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-morissette/)

## More by Pearl Cleage

> [It is a dangerous time to be a black woman in America. It’s a time when we are not safe in the streets or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/it-is-a-dangerous-time-to-be-a-black-woman-in-america-it-s-a-time/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [“what looks like crazy on an ordinary day looks a lot like love if you catch it in the moonlight!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/what-looks-like-crazy-on-an-ordinary-day-looks-a-lot-like-love-if-you/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [Loneliness is random; solitude is ritual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/loneliness-is-random-solitude-is-ritual/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [We danced too wild, and we sang too long, and we hugged too hard, and we kissed too sweet, and howled just as loud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/we-danced-too-wild-and-we-sang-too-long-and-we-hugged-too-hard-and-we/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [I truly love the rehearsal process, those eight hours a day! I really love actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/i-truly-love-the-rehearsal-process-those-eight-hours-a-day-i-really/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [If you don't annoy your big sister for no good reason from time to time, she thinks you don't love her anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/if-you-don-t-annoy-your-big-sister-for-no-good-reason-from-time-to/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [That's why I love being a writer. My imagination can take me places I may never see except in my mind's eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/that-s-why-i-love-being-a-writer-my-imagination-can-take-me-places-i/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [“I need the words to find the music!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/i-need-the-words-to-find-the-music/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [Sometimes you have to show them what they want to see in order to get them to show you who they really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/sometimes-you-have-to-show-them-what-they-want-to-see-in-order-to-get/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [Buying flowers is not just a way to bring home beauty. It's an expression of confidence that better days are coming. It's a defiant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/buying-flowers-is-not-just-a-way-to-bring-home-beauty-it-s-an/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [“Sometimes the contradictions in their lives are so intense they seem manufactured for teaching life lessons, but it's hard to keep up with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/sometimes-the-contradictions-in-their-lives-are-so-intense-they-seem/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [“em,” she said softly. “That guy with the sexy voice told ’em to get ready”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/em-she-said-softly-that-guy-with-the-sexy-voice-told-em-to-get-ready/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [Domestic violence is the front line of the war against women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/domestic-violence-is-the-front-line-of-the-war-against-women/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [When I got to the end of this play, I realized I was trying to make Angel do something that had not been justified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/when-i-got-to-the-end-of-this-play-i-realized-i-was-trying-to-make/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

> [What looks like crazy on an ordinary day looks looks a lot like love if you catch it in the moonlight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/what-looks-like-crazy-on-an-ordinary-day-looks-looks-a-lot-like-love/)

[Pearl Cleage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

[Explore all 65 Pearl Cleage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/)

## More Black quotes

> [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/)

[Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/)

> [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/)

[Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/)

> [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/)

[Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/)

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/)

[Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/)

> [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/)

[Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/)

> [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/)

[Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/)

Frank B. Wilderson III

> [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/)

[R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/)

> [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/)

[John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/)

> [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/)

> [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/)

[Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/)

> [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/)

[Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/)

Browse all 11,655 Black quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television; solitude is herb tea and soft music. Solitude, quality solitude, is an assertion of self-worth, because only in the stillness can we hear the truth of our own unique voices.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Pearl Cleage"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-night-television-solitude-is-herb-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Black"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-night-television-solitude-is-herb-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/pearl-cleage-10395_black_loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-nigh_1576715.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/pearl-cleage-10395_black_loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-nigh_1576715.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36a/pearl-cleage-10395_black_loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-nigh_1576715.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Loneliness is black coffee and late-night television; solitude is herb tea and soft music. Solitude, quality…” — Pearl Cleage",
                "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": "Pearl Cleage",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-cleage/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Loneliness is black coffee and late-night...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-night-television-solitude-is-herb-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-cleage/loneliness-is-black-coffee-and-late-night-television-solitude-is-herb-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
