People
And the tear that we shed, though in secret it rolls, Shall long keep his memory green in our souls.
— Thomas Moore
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
Private grief is imagined as keeping someone's memory fresh within those who mourn him. The secret tear expresses remembrance that continues even when sorrow is not publicly shown.
- Bartlett, Familiar Quotations (1891)Oh breathe not his Name.Reference checked
Context reviewed