"I give the fight up: let there be an end, a privacy, an obscure nook for me. I want to be forgotten even by God"
- Robert Browning
About this Quote
In this quote from Robert Browning, the speaker reveals a profound sense of resignation and a desire for solitude and oblivion. The declaration "I give the fight up" indicates a surrender or approval of defeat. It shows a weariness, recommending that the speaker has actually been participated in some form of battle, whether it be internal, external, or both, and has picked to let go of the fight. This might be analyzed as the conclusion of persistent challenge, causing exhaustion and a longing for peace.
The phrase "let there be an end, a personal privacy, an odd nook for me" recommends a deep yearning for seclusion and isolation. The speaker is not simply looking for a cessation of dispute but is desiring a retreat into a concealed, personal space where they can be free from the concerns and expectations that might have accompanied their previous battles. This is indicative of an existential weariness, where the concept of withdrawing from the world entirely appears to be more appealing than continuing to face its difficulties.
Lastly, the declaration "I want to be forgotten even by God" includes a poignant, practically awful dimension to the speaker's desire for disappearance. To be forgotten by God indicates a supreme type of isolation-- an erasure so total that not even the divine would remember their existence. This could reflect an extensive sense of alienation or misery, a feeling that the speaker's battles and identity have actually ended up being too difficult to bear. It suggests a yearning for a total disconnection not just from worldly affairs but from existence itself.
Overall, Browning's words represent a character who is overwhelmed, disheartened, and looking for an escape from the trials of life. The quote captures the universal human experiences of tiredness, the desire for peace, and the complex relationship in between identity and oblivion.
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