Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in
70The stream of time
Time is but the stream I go a fishing in
Recently, more than ever before, I've begun to feel the slow tug of time at my doorstep. Time, instead of the once mellow stream I've gone a-fishing in, now seems more like the swift current that's slowly dragging me away. Many of you have felt the same feelings. Sometimes, time just seems like it's running out. It was Henry David Thoreau who coined the quote above, which is the title of this article. His view of time, and what he did with his life have always been able to inspire me toward better things, breaking the nagging discouragement that sometimes comes to find me. That's why I'm writing this article, for those of you like me, who have felt the nagging, discouraging pull of time. I'm posting my favorite quotes about life and the preciousness of time to remind myself and others that time is precious, and that life ought to be fought for rather than settled for. The first is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, A Psalm of Life. I hope you enjoy.
“Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou are, to dust thou returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.”
“Let fate do her worst, there are relics of joy,
Bright dreams of the past, which she cannot destroy;
Which come in the night-time of sorrow and care,
And bring back the features that joy used to wear.
Long, long be my heart with such memories filled!
Like the vase, in which flowers have once been distilled –
You may break, you may shatter the vase, if you will,
But the scent of the roses will hang round it still.”
Thomas Moore
"The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveler hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveler to the shore.
And the tide rises, the tide falls."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“However mean your life is, meet it and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The faultfinder will find fault even in paradise. Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poor-house.” Henry David Thoreau.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” Henry David Thoreau.
If You've liked these quotes and thoughts about life, check out my personal blogs
Things I've Learned While Roaming the Earth
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Comments
Thanks G-Ma! I always really appreciate your comments. Thanks for the encouragement.
very nice hub
I've always loved A Psalm of Life, it's a reminder that time doesn't wait for no man. Thanks for sharing these beautiful passages :D
You are more than welcome. Thanks for enjoying them!
"the fault finder finds faults in paradise". Gosh I love that. Great work, nice to be reminded of the things I do myself so I can do better to change it. 3
Thanks Sandra! Henry David Thoreau is my all time favorite. He said so many cool things.
Hi,
I have to admit I was never a fan of poetry, but after reading these beautiful examples, they truly spoke to my heart, especially the one by Thomas Moore. I think you can credit yourself with making me want to pursue and enjoy this type of reading. It's never been a part of my library, but I look forward to changing that.
Beautiful hub, as always. Thanks :)
Trish, wow, thanks for all the comments :) I'm very glad you enjoyed the poems! One of my goals in life is to share good classic poetry with people. There's such a huge amount of non-enjoyable classic poetry that the good stuff often gets lost in the mix. I'm trying to find the gems and highlight them. Thanks very much for appreciating it!
You're doing a fine job. I've written down the authors you've quoted, they seem to be the ones I'd gravitate to.
Thanks so much for sharing and making this world a nicer place :)
I've always loved that verse of Moore's - 'but the scent of the roses will hang round it still' is such a powerful thought! Yes, time is precious indeed!
Yeah, I love Thomas Moore also. I bought a first edition book of some of his poems awhile back. It's really tattered and torn, but it was awesome going through the original text. Thanks for stopping by!
I, too, have been feeling this tugging... I am only 31...( Hahaha- I never thought I would say that...) But I agree that life is taking it's toll on me finally. I didn't think I would feel this way so soon, but here I am admitting it to you...
Time is something people take for granted. Some waste it like there isn't a care in the world, yet people like you, (and I) are feeling it's weight already, and we are forced to slow down to watch the trees grow, and the birds migrate every year... Things that some people don't notice, due to their searching for fame and fortune... If everyone could slow down and see life for what it really is, (what you want it to be) then more people would feel the same as you and I...
I'm very thankful for the fact that you can relate so strongly with what I wrote. It's really cool knowing someone else feels the same way. It's funny, because as we describe it, it sounds like a burden, feeling the weight of time. But it's really a blessing, realizing that life is short, that beautiful things fade away. It makes you want to live life to the full. Thank you very much for your comments!
I am realizing now that I must cherish the things I love most, and reach for the things I want, rather than wait for it to come to me, because rarely, does that happen... All I want is a happy life. I just want happiness, and serenity... To ENJOY what I hold, and to be INSPIRED... Which I am inspired in many ways...
I'm totally just now realizing that myself. Never before have I really cherished things. Now things I once took for granted (my relationship with my parents and my close friends) almost bring that feeling of melancholy :) knowing that eventually the relationships will fade away. It's awesome that you understand these things as well. I haven't talked about these things in a long time, and it's fun having a conversation with you about them. Thanks!
If you don't mind my asking Benji, how old are you? (Just out of curiosity) You don't have to answer if you don't want to...
The first thing I must say here, is the way you perceive life is how you will live it... Thinking positive can really steer you in a different direction, than if you always think negative... Reason being---> Mind over matter... Once you learn to control your mind, things can take a drastic turn-around... Again, a person can have whatever they dream of, all they have to do is want it bad enough... If it is a great paying job you want, you can always go to college to study for that job... If it's happiness you want, look right in front of you... that is where you will find it, as you hold the answers right in the palm of your hand...
Simplified: Set your mind on the positive outcome of what you want, rather than how you are going to get it... :)
I don't mind at all :) I'm 26. Sorry it took me a few days to comment back. I've been super busy. Yeah, positive thinking is difficult. That's probably the reason why it's so powerful. I've been going through a really rough time recently, and it's sometimes been everything I can do not to resign myself to discouragement and despair. But then, when things are at their worst, I always find hope in the Lord, that He knows the path that I'm on, and that it's a good one, and that I don't need to worry. Without that, I think I'd go crazy :)
What a fantastic intro to these beautiful quotes. A great collection, I must say. I find myself so often going to literature, my favorite authors, my favorite books and anthologies (most of them engrained in my memory) for answers and inspiration. Great hub. So universal a feeling, by the way. You're soooo not alone in feeling this way. Nature knows what she's doing and there a reason for everything. Ashame we have to go through what we have to go through, but then, it wouldn't be life. Thanks so much for sharing these.
Thanks Frieda! I really appreciate your comments. Poems like these often pick me up when I'm feeling down. There's just such depth to them, and they remind me that life is still pressing on, even when my world seems out of control.
G-Ma Johnson says:
11 months ago
yep...they are all great...I personally really liked the last one ...by Henry David Thoreau... Nice job hun, you seem to have a great outlook on life...G-Ma :o) Hugs & Peace