Oh, when a mother meets on high The babe she lost in infancy, Hath she not then for pains and fears, The day of woe, the watchful night, For all her sorrow, all her tears, An over-payment of delight?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A mother reunited with a child lost in infancy finds that the joy of meeting again pays back all her past sorrow.
- In plain terms
- Meeting a lost child brings joy that outweighs years of grief.
- What can you take from it?
- Joy can offset deep grief.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can joy ever erase pain?
- What makes grief bearable?
Another view
It assumes all grief is redeemed by reunion.
More from Robert Southey
They sin who tell us love can die; With life all other passions fly, All others are but vanity.
Permalink to quote #31 Thou hast been called, O sleep! the friend of woe; But 'tis the happy that have called thee so.
Permalink to quote #33 Curses are like young chickens, they always come home to roost.
Permalink to quote #30
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