In Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables," the author reflects on the profound yet fleeting nature of human affection. He highlights that while lovers can deeply cherish one another and share joyous moments, these emotions are transient compared to the vastness of eternity. Their love, though vibrant and full of life, exists within the confines of time and cannot alter the permanence of the universe.

Hugo poignantly captures the contrast between the intimate exchanges of lovers and the unchanging reality of the cosmos. As two individuals connect in love, surrounded by beauty and the sounds of nature, their deep feelings are ultimately small against the backdrop of an everlasting universe. This juxtaposition underscores a central theme of the novel: the struggle between love's fleeting joy and the relentless march of time and fate.