William Shakespeare on Grief
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“For grief is crowned with consolation.”
“But then the mind much sufferance doth o'erskip, When grief hath mates.”
“If thou engrossest all the griefs are thine, Thou robb'st me of a moiety.”
“That we two are asunder; let that grieve him; Some griefs are medicinable.”
“But I have That honourable grief lodg'd here which burns Worse than tears drown.”
“Oft have I heard that grief softens the mind And makes it fearful and degenerate.”
“You may my glories and my state depose, But not my griefs; still am I king of those.”
“Alas, poor man! grief has so wrought on him, He takes false shadows for true substances.”
“When remedies are past, the griefs are ended By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.”
“Griefs of mine own lie heavy in my breast, Which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest With more of thine.”
“I am not mad; I would to heaven I were! For then, 'tis like I should forget myself: O, if I could, what grief should I forget!”
“O, grief hath chang'd me since you saw me last, And careful hours with time's deform'd hand Have written strange defeatures in my face.”
“My grief lies all within; And these external manners of laments Are merely shadows to the unseen grief That swells with silence in the tortur'd soul.”
“Nor doth the general care Take hold on me, for my particular grief Is of so flood-gate and o'erbearing nature That it engluts and swallows other sorrows And it is still itself.”
“Each substance of a grief hath twenty shadows, Which shows like grief itself, but is not so; For sorrow's eye, glazed with blinding tears, Divides one thing entire to many objects.”
“Grief fills the room up of my absent child, Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me, Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words, Remembers me of all his gracious parts, Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form; Then, have I reason to be fond of grief?”
“Men Can counsel and speak comfort to that grief Which they themselves not feel; but, tasting it, Their counsel turns to passion, which before Would give preceptial medicine to rage, Fetter strong madness in a silken thread, Charm ache, with air and agony with words.”