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Quote by Robert Burton

“Riches do not so much exhilarate us with their possession, as they torment us with their loss.”

Work

Written in the 17th century, this book is a comprehensive examination of melancholy, a term historically used to describe a range of mental and emotional states. It delves into the physiological, psychological, and philosophical aspects of melancholy, offering insights into its causes and cures. The work is notable for its extensive use of classical literature and medical texts, and its influence on the development of psychology and psychiatry. more

Author

Robert Burton

Robert Burton, born on February 8, 1577 and died on January 25, 1640, was an English scholar. His most notable achievement was writing 'The Anatomy of Melancholy', a comprehensive exploration of the psychological phenomenon of melancholy, which had a profound impact on the fields of psychology, literature, and philosophy in the modern world. more

“She walks back, more slowly, the way she came. How odd it feels, to move along the same streets in reverse, like inking over old words, her feet the quill, going back over work, rewriting, erasing. Partings are strange. It seems so simple: one minute ago, four, five, he was here, at her side; now, he is gone. She was with him; she is alone. She feels exposed, chill, peeled like an onion. There is the stall they passed earlier, piled high with tin pots and cedar shavings. There is the woman they saw, still making her decision, holding two pots in her hands, weighing them, and how can she still be there, how can she still be engaged in the same activity, in the choosing of a pot, when such a change, such a transformation has occurred in Agnes's life? Her very world has cloven in two and here is the same dog dozing in a doorway. Here is a young woman, tying up clothing into bundles, just as she was doing when they passed. Here is her neighbour...giving her a grave nod as he walks by. Can he not see, can he not read that life as she knows it is over, that he is gone?” Hamnet, pp214-5”

Loss

Book:Hamnet

Source: Hamnet

“Perhaps this is what life is - just being with each other. And perhaps this is also what death is, because the fossils of the amphibian and the mammal were found, curled up together: perhaps because of broken ribs and shared heat, or perhaps because of the universal need we have for each other. A flood buried the two together, alive, and although they sang unheard pleas, they were singing together.”

Inspirational Loss Flood Extinction Togetherness Universal Love

Book:Push and Pull

Source: Push and Pull

“As I walked away he called to me and when I turned back he said, "They're never far from us, you know." "Who?" I asked. "The dead. No more'n a breath. You let that last one go and you're with them again.”

Loss Mourning

Book:Ordinary Grace

Source: Ordinary Grace