(A Notes to Self Series)
Quote for Friday, 22 March 2019
“Farewell Hope, and with Hope farewell Fear.”
― John Milton
What do you think? Do you agree with this quote? How could fear go away if hope also goes away? Isn’t that too ironic?
Could our circumstances really change for the better by letting go of our hopes?
I’m looking forward to knowing your thoughts.
Credit goes to the following sources/resources for this and my other posted blog quotes:
- Goodreads and BrainyQuotes for the quotes,
- Wave.video for the videos or photos,
- WordPress and Canva for some of the photos and graphics, and
- Wikipedia for more information for the quotes’ writers.
Check out all my other previous hopeful and optimistic quotes on this blog here.
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Words of Hope and Optimism 
Thanks for sharing. Hard to understand actually. If hope goes fear should rather take control of the territory.
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You’re quite spot on with your comment. It also perplexed me initially as well. The quote appeared to me like a Shakespearean sonnet would, to be honest, which shouldn’t really be surprising because Milton’s first published poem was similarly titled.
I readily interpreted the words to mean exactly what you’ve written. We’re so one on that.
Nonetheless, I loved Shakespeare’s works and I believe they’re worthy to be gleaned and taken in further retrospect more.
As for the snippet, I’d rather take the meaning with a glass-half-full perspective. Knowing how poetically inclined Milton was, he could have acknowledged how powerful “hope” could be; whether it was in a good or bad way, I won’t be able to confirm, though. Regardless, hope could have been so potent for him that it has the potential for taking “fear” by the hand or by force, if need be, to go where it has to. As hope flees, it brings fear with it and spares those left behind from the ravages or utter hopelessness brought about by wanton or desperate fearfulness.
Some might take my interpretation with a grain of salt if not with disapproval, especially when Milton himself came to be in an age of distinct contextual contests on religious thoughts and discourses. Yet, I’d rather focus on the similarities and not the discrepancies.
Perhaps there’s a much better, intrigue-free resolution to what he could have meant: As hope and fear depart, faith and fortitude fill in the void.
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