---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A pair of bright eyes with a dozen…"
description: "\"A pair of bright eyes with a dozen glances suffice to subdue a man; to enslave him, and enflame him; to make him even forget; they dazzle him so that t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_bright-eyes_a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glanc_1961499.jpg"
---

#  A pair of bright eyes with a dozen glances suffice to…

![“A pair of bright eyes with a dozen glances suffice to subdue a man; to enslave him, and enflame him; to make him even forget; they dazzle him so that the past becomes straightway dim to him; and he so prizes them that he would give all his life to possess 'em.” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_bright-eyes_a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glanc_1961499.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_bright-eyes_a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glanc_1961499.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_bright-eyes_a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glanc_1961499.jpg)

> “A pair of bright eyes with a dozen glances suffice to subdue a man; to enslave him, and enflame him; to make him even forget; they dazzle him so that the past becomes straightway dim to him; and he so prizes them that he would give all his life to possess 'em.”

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

## About This Quote

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

Intense eye contact can dominate emotions, influencing desire and devotion.

**In simple terms:** Eyes can captivate and control.

Key Takeaway

Beware the power of a gaze.

Themes

love desire power perception

Mood

intense reflective

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

- romantic pursuit
- political negotiation
- marketing
- personal relationships

Key Concepts

psychology seduction attention

Questions to Reflect On

- What does a gaze reveal about power?
- Can attraction be reduced to visual focus?

A Different Perspective

The effect may be fleeting or manipulative.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bright eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-eyes/) [Dazzle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dazzle/) [Dozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen/) [Dozen Glances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dozen-glances-3241495/) [Ems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ems/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Eyes Dozen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes-dozen-3241496/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Glances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glances/) [Glances Suffice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glances-suffice-3241497/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Man Enslave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-enslave-391655/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pairs/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prize/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [A man who will enslave his own blood, may not be safely relied on for magnamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-man-who-will-enslave-his-own-blood-may-not-be-safely-relied-on-for/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [Man alone can enslave man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/man-alone-can-enslave-man/)

[Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/)

> [So, with their usual sense of justice, ladies argue that because a woman is handsome, therefore she is a fool. O ladies, ladies! there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/so-with-their-usual-sense-of-justice-ladies-argue-that-because-a/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [A woman may possess the wisdom and chastity of Minerva, and we give no heed to her, if she has a plain face. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-woman-may-possess-the-wisdom-and-chastity-of-minerva-and-we-give-no/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [The greatest kindness would put a bullet in his bright eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-hall/the-greatest-kindness-would-put-a-bullet-in-his-bright-eye/)

[Donald Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-hall/)

> [“For that is love, wasn't it? To burn bright in someone else's eyes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carstairs/for-that-is-love-wasn-t-it-to-burn-bright-in-someone-else-s-eyes/)

[James Carstairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carstairs/)

> [Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/her-face-was-sad-and-lovely-with-bright-things-in-it-bright-eyes-and/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [The very flexibility and ease which make men's friendships so agreeable while they endure, make them the easier to destroy and forget. And a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-very-flexibility-and-ease-which-make-men-s-friendships-so/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [The largely objective character of beauty is further indicated by the fact that to a considerable extent beauty is the expression of health. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/havelock-ellis/the-largely-objective-character-of-beauty-is-further-indicated-by-the/)

[Havelock Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/havelock-ellis/)

> [To outsiders it probably seems like splitting hairs, but to me, Bright Eyes is a simply the collaboration between myself and Mike Mogis and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/to-outsiders-it-probably-seems-like-splitting-hairs-but-to-me-bright/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [And the moon never beams Without bringing me dreams And the sun never shines But I see the bright eyes I lie down by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-the-moon-never-beams-without-bringing-me-dreams-and-the-sun-never/)

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

> [Fight on, brave knights! Man dies, but glory lives! Fight on; death is better than defeat! Fight on brave knights! for bright eyes behold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/fight-on-brave-knights-man-dies-but-glory-lives-fight-on-death-is/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [Buttercups, bright eyed and bold, hold their chalices of gold to catch the sunshine and the dew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-caroline-dorr/buttercups-bright-eyed-and-bold-hold-their-chalices-of-gold-to-catch/)

[Julia Caroline Dorr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-caroline-dorr/)

> [Don't let that little pyramid with the bright eye fool you. That's to draw your attention away from the real thing: the big trapezoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-szandor-lavey/don-t-let-that-little-pyramid-with-the-bright-eye-fool-you-that-s-to/)

[Anton Szandor LaVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-szandor-lavey/)

> [But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes, Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel, Making a famine where abundance lies, Thyself thy foe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-thou-contracted-to-thine-own-bright-eyes-feed-st-thy-light-s/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## More by William Makepeace Thackeray

> [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [As nature made every man with a nose and eyes of his own, she gave him a character of his own, too; and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/as-nature-made-every-man-with-a-nose-and-eyes-of-his-own-she-gave-him/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [It is best to love wisely, no doubt; but to love foolishly is better than not to be able to love at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/it-is-best-to-love-wisely-no-doubt-but-to-love-foolishly-is-better/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Diffidence is a sort of false modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/diffidence-is-a-sort-of-false-modesty/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Our great thoughts, our great affections, the truths of our life, never leave us. Surely they can not separate from our consciousness, shall follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/our-great-thoughts-our-great-affections-the-truths-of-our-life-never/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/charming-alnaschar-visions-it-is-the-happy-privilege-of-youth-to/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [To see a young couple loving each other is no wonder; but to see an old couple loving each other is the best sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-see-a-young-couple-loving-each-other-is-no-wonder-but-to-see-an/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [An immense percentage of snobs, I believe, is to be found in every rank of this mortal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/an-immense-percentage-of-snobs-i-believe-is-to-be-found-in-every-rank/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Vanity is often the unseen spur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-is-often-the-unseen-spur/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [A good laugh is sunshine in the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-good-laugh-is-sunshine-in-the-house/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Novelty has charms that our minds can hardly withstand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/novelty-has-charms-that-our-minds-can-hardly-withstand/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [“Picture to yourself, O fair young reader, a worldly, selfish, graceless, thankless, religionless old woman, writhing in pain and fear, and without her wig.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/picture-to-yourself-o-fair-young-reader-a-worldly-selfish-graceless/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [Certain opuscules, denominated 'Christmas Books,' with the ostensible intention of swelling the tide of exhilaration, or other expansive emotions, incident upon the exodus of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/certain-opuscules-denominated-christmas-books-with-the-ostensible/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

[Explore all 384 William Makepeace Thackeray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

## More Bright eyes quotes

> [“For that is love, wasn't it? To burn bright in someone else's eyes?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-carstairs/for-that-is-love-wasn-t-it-to-burn-bright-in-someone-else-s-eyes/)

[James Carstairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-carstairs/)

> [Her face was sad and lovely with bright things in it, bright eyes and a bright passionate mouth, but there was an excitement in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/her-face-was-sad-and-lovely-with-bright-things-in-it-bright-eyes-and/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [Fight on, brave knights! Man dies, but glory lives! Fight on; death is better than defeat! Fight on brave knights! for bright eyes behold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/fight-on-brave-knights-man-dies-but-glory-lives-fight-on-death-is/)

[Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/)

> [The greatest kindness would put a bullet in his bright eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-hall/the-greatest-kindness-would-put-a-bullet-in-his-bright-eye/)

[Donald Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-hall/)

> [Don't let that little pyramid with the bright eye fool you. That's to draw your attention away from the real thing: the big trapezoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-szandor-lavey/don-t-let-that-little-pyramid-with-the-bright-eye-fool-you-that-s-to/)

[Anton Szandor LaVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-szandor-lavey/)

> [Buttercups, bright eyed and bold, hold their chalices of gold to catch the sunshine and the dew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-caroline-dorr/buttercups-bright-eyed-and-bold-hold-their-chalices-of-gold-to-catch/)

[Julia Caroline Dorr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-caroline-dorr/)

> [But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes, Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel, Making a famine where abundance lies, Thyself thy foe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-thou-contracted-to-thine-own-bright-eyes-feed-st-thy-light-s/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [And the moon never beams Without bringing me dreams And the sun never shines But I see the bright eyes I lie down by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-the-moon-never-beams-without-bringing-me-dreams-and-the-sun-never/)

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

> [To outsiders it probably seems like splitting hairs, but to me, Bright Eyes is a simply the collaboration between myself and Mike Mogis and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/to-outsiders-it-probably-seems-like-splitting-hairs-but-to-me-bright/)

[Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/)

> [The largely objective character of beauty is further indicated by the fact that to a considerable extent beauty is the expression of health. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/havelock-ellis/the-largely-objective-character-of-beauty-is-further-indicated-by-the/)

[Havelock Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/havelock-ellis/)

> [The very flexibility and ease which make men's friendships so agreeable while they endure, make them the easier to destroy and forget. And a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/the-very-flexibility-and-ease-which-make-men-s-friendships-so/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Then he crouches down behind it, motions for Tess and me to sit down, and begins unbuttoning his vest. I blush scarlet and thank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/then-he-crouches-down-behind-it-motions-for-tess-and-me-to-sit-down/)

[Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/)

> [“Bless the bright eyes of your sex! They never see, whether for good or bad, more than one side of any question; and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/bless-the-bright-eyes-of-your-sex-they-never-see-whether-for-good-or/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [Ladies, whose bright eyes Rain influence, and judge the prize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/ladies-whose-bright-eyes-rain-influence-and-judge-the-prize/)

[John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/)

> [I love Bright Eyes - I absolutely love him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/i-love-bright-eyes-i-absolutely-love-him/)

[Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/)

[Browse all 50 Bright eyes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-eyes/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A pair of bright eyes with a dozen glances suffice to subdue a man; to enslave him, and enflame him; to make him even forget; they dazzle him so that the past becomes straightway dim to him; and he so prizes them that he would give all his life to possess 'em.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Makepeace Thackeray"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glances-suffice-to-subdue-a-man-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bright eyes"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glances-suffice-to-subdue-a-man-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_bright-eyes_a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glanc_1961499.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_bright-eyes_a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glanc_1961499.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/00b/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_bright-eyes_a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glanc_1961499.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A pair of bright eyes with a dozen glances suffice to subdue a man; to enslave him, and enflame him; to make…” — William Makepeace Thackeray",
                "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": "William Makepeace Thackeray",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A pair of bright eyes with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glances-suffice-to-subdue-a-man-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-pair-of-bright-eyes-with-a-dozen-glances-suffice-to-subdue-a-man-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```