A sorrow’s crown of sorrow is remembering happier times.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
Grief teaches the steadiest minds to waver.
—Sophocles (495–405 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
What the heart has once owned and had, it shall never lose.
—Henry Ward Beecher (1813–87) American Clergyman, Writer
Instead of weeping when a tragedy occurs in a songbird’s life, it sings away its grief. I believe we could well follow the pattern of our feathered friends.
—Indian Proverb
To bury grief plant a seed.
—German Proverb
What’s gone and what’s past help should be past grief.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Grief for a dead Wife, and a troublesome Guest, Continues to the threshold, and there is at rest; But I mean such wives as are none of the best
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Great grief makes sacred those upon whom its hand is laid.—Joy may elevate, ambition glorify, but only sorrow can consecrate.
—Horace Greeley (1811–72) American Elected Rep, Politician, Reformer, Editor
Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
In struggling against anguish one never produces serenity; the struggle against anguish only produces new forms of anguish.
—Simone Weil (1909–1943) French Philosopher, Political Activist
Why destroy present happiness by a distant misery which may never come at all, or you may never live to see it?—Every substantial grief has twenty shadows, and most of them shadows of your own making.
—Sydney Smith (1771–1845) English Clergyman, Essayist, Wit
Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.
—Swedish Proverb
To spare oneself from grief at all cost can be achieved only at the price of total detachment, which excludes the ability to experience happiness
—Erich Fromm (1900–80) German-American Psychoanalyst, Social Philosopher
He that conceals his grief finds no remedy for it
—Turkish Proverb
I tell you, hopeless grief is passionless; That only men incredulous of despair, half-taught in anguish, through the midnight air beat upward to god’s throne in loud access of shrieking and reproach
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
Grief at the absence of a loved one is happiness compared to life with a person one hates.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
If you would have me weep, you must first of all feel grief yourself.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
One often calms one’s grief by recounting it.
—Pierre Corneille (1606–84) French Poet, Dramatist
The only cure for grief is action.
—George Henry Lewes (1817–78) English Philosopher, Literary Critic, Art Critic
One joy shatters a hundred griefs.
—Chinese Proverb
There’s no use in weeping,
Though we are condemned to part:
There’s such a thing as keeping
A remembrance in one’s heart…
—Charlotte Bronte (1816–1855) English Novelist, Poet
The death of a dear friend, wife, brother, lover, which seemed nothing but privation, somewhat later assumes the aspect of a guide or genius; for it commonly operates revolutions in our way of life, terminates an epoch of infancy or of youth which was waiting to be closed, breaks up a wonted occupation, or a household, or style of living, and allows the formation of new ones more friendly to the growth of character.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Grief can take care of itself; but to get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
If, as I can’t help suspecting, the dead also feel the pains of separation (and this may be one of their purgatorial sufferings), then for both lovers, and for all pairs of lovers without exception, bereavement is a universal and integral part of our experience of love.
—C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) Irish-born British Academic, Author, Literary Scholar
Grief is the agony of an instant; the indulgence of grief the blunder of a life.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Feed on her damask cheek: she pined in thought, And with a green and yellow melancholy She sat like patience on a monument, Smiling at grief
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble.
—Moliere (1622–73) French Playwright
Time heals old pain, while it creates new ones.
—Hebrew Proverb
To no man make yourself a boon companion: Your joy will be less but less will be your grief
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher
Poetry is about the grief. Politics is about the grievance.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of his death, which distresses her so much that she forgets not the slightest detail about it.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
She was no longer wrestling with the grief, but could sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Grief can’t be shared. Everyone carries it alone. His own burden in his own way.
—Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906–2001) American Aviator, Author
The display of grief makes more demands than grief itself. How few men are sad in their own company.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
The gallantry of his grief did put me into a towering passion.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Joy comes, grief goes, we know not how.
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Each substance of a grief hath twenty shadows
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal—every other affliction to forget: but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open—this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude.
—Washington Irving (1783–1859) American Essayist, Biographer, Historian
Excess of grief for the dead is madness; for it is an injury to the living, and the dead know it not.
—Xenophon (c.430–c.354 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher
What we call mourning for our dead is perhaps not so much grief at not being able to call them back; as it is grief at not being able to want to do so
—Thomas Mann (1875–1955) German Novelist, Short Story Writer, Social Critic, Philanthropist, Essayist
What is deservedly suffered must be borne with calmness, but when the pain is unmerited, the grief is resistless.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Some grief shows much of love; but much of grief shows still some want of wit.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
I will instruct my sorrows to be proud For grief is proud an’t makes his owner stoop
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
There is no grief like the grief that does not speak.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Grief is itself a med’cine.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
We feel at first as if some opportunities of kindness and sympathy were lost, but learn afterward that any pure grief is ample recompense for all. That is, if we are faithful;—for a spent grief is but sympathy with the soul that disposes events, and is as natural as the resin of Arabian trees.—Only nature has a right to grieve perpetually, for she only is innocent. Soon the ice will melt, and the blackbirds sing along the river which he frequented, as pleasantly as ever. The same everlasting serenity will appear in this face of God, and we will not be sorrowful, if he is not.
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–62) American Philosopher
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.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Man, when he does not grieve, hardly exists.
—Antonio Porchia (1885–1968) Italian Poet
While grief is fresh, every attempt to divert only irritates. You must wait till it be digested, and then amusement will dissipate the remains of it.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist