Two brass keys hang together from red thread stretched between two wooden spools on a dark wooden surface.

Original artwork, not a still

Robert Southey

No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Friendship built on real mutual respect survives miles and years, the speaker says. If two people are truly convinced of each other's worth, then neither distance nor passing time can shrink the bond, because the belief holding it together doesn't depend on being nearby.

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