phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Lost love

Posted by ESC on April 08, 2002

In Reply to: " 'tis better to have loved and lost..." posted by alexandra on April 08, 2002

: on this site it says it was originally from Butler... but wasn't it also in a poem by lord tennyson? which was first...?

IT IS BETTER TO HAVE LOVED AND LOST, THAN NEVER TO HAVE LOVED AT ALL - "The pleasures of love are still greater than the pain of its loss. The saying was first used in this form by the English poet Alfred Tennyson , but has a precursor in a play by William Congreve.1700. It is better to have been left than never to have been loved - William Congreve, 'The Way of the World.' 1850 - 'Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all. --- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 'In Memorium.'" From Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

© 1997 – 2024 Phrases.org.uk. All rights reserved.