Meaning & Analysis
Literally, the proverb asserts that pity (compassion for another’s suffering) and love (deep affection or care) are closely related emotions.
Insights
Continuity of Human Feeling
It suggests that compassion and affection are not separate but exist on a spectrum; genuine pity often arises from, or leads to, a sense of deep care and emotional connection.
Transformative Power of Compassion
Indicates that feeling pity can soften the heart and foster a more affectionate or loving regard, blurring the boundaries between sympathy and attachment.
Literary Resonance
Writers from Shakespeare to Addison draw attention to the emotional progression from pity to love, highlighting how acts of compassion frequently nurture intimacy or affection. Shakespeare’s line in 'Twelfth Night'—'That's a degree to love'—vividly illustrates this movement.
Philosophical and Psychological Roots
The proverb encapsulates an enduring philosophical and psychological insight: empathy for suffering is a core component of human love, and the boundaries between the two feelings are often porous.
Social and Moral Implication
The saying encourages a positive view of pity, elevating it from mere sorrow to an essential force that can inspire genuine acts of care and solidarity.
Rhetorical Devices
Analogy
By explicitly linking pity and love, the proverb uses analogy to highlight their emotional proximity and shared nature.
Personification
Concepts like pity and love are personified, portrayed as relatives ('akin'), enhancing the warmth and humanity of the expression.
Ellipsis
The succinct phrasing omits the reasons or consequences, prompting the listener to contemplate the relationship between these feelings.
Transcription
Quotations
Madam, because I loue I pitty you.
Do, pity me; Pity's a kin to love.
Pity is nothing else but love softened by a degree of sorrow.
Shakespeare Citations
I pity you. —That's a degree to love.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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