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Aging Quote by William Morris

“October O love, turn from the changing sea and gaze, Down these grey slopes, upon the year grown old, A-dying 'mid the autumn-scented haze That hangeth o'er the hollow in the wold, Where the wind-bitten ancient elms infold Grey church, long barn, orchard, and red-roofed stead, Wrought in dead days…” quote by William Morris
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““October O love, turn from the changing sea and gaze, Down these grey slopes, upon the year grown old, A-dying 'mid the autumn-scented haze That hangeth o'er the hollow in the wold, Where the wind-bitten ancient elms infold Grey church, long barn, orchard, and red-roofed stead, Wrought in dead days for men a long while dead. Come down, O love; may not our hands still meet, Since still we live today, forgetting June, Forgetting May, deeming October sweet? - - Oh, hearken! hearken! through the afternoon The grey tower sings a strange old tinkling tune! Sweet, sweet, and sad, the toiling year's last breath, To satiate of life, to strive with death. And we too -will it not be soft and kind, That rest from life, from patience, and from pain, That rest from bliss we know not when we find, That rest from love which ne'er the end can gain? - Hark! how the tune swells, that erewhile did wane! Look up, love! -Ah! cling close, and never move! How can I have enough of life and love?””

William Morris

About This Quote

Source Poem: Untitled (c. 1880) by William Morris

The poem reflects on aging, loss, and the yearning for love amid the passage of time.

In simple terms: Aging brings loss, but love endures.

Key Takeaway

Embrace love despite life's transience.

Themes

aging loss love time

Mood

reflective poetic melancholic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • elderly care
  • grief counseling
  • relationship reflection
  • creative writing

Key Concepts

mortality nostalgia nature symbolism

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do you honor past while living now?
  • What does love mean in later life?
A Different Perspective

Idealizing the past can hinder present joy.

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