Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold.

The line frames “sweetness” as a concentrated, almost ceremonial allowance: a rare moment when youth may indulge fully in pleasure, affection, or delight without apology. The phrasing “want and hold” suggests both desire and capacity—implying that sweetness is not only something one seeks, but something one must be able to contain without spilling into excess or regret. It also carries a faint note of scarcity: such unqualified abundance is presented as a once-only dispensation, hinting that adulthood brings limits, compromises, or a more measured relationship to joy. The quote thus celebrates youthful intensity while acknowledging its transience.