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What cities, as great as this, have... promised themselves immortality! Posterity can hardly trace the situation of some. The sorrowful traveller wanders over the awful ruins of others... Here stood their citadel, but now grown over with weeds; there their senate-house, but now the haunt of every noxious reptile; temples and theatres stood here, now only an undistinguished heap of ruins.
Oliver Goldsmith
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on the impermanence of cities and civilizations, highlighting that all great things eventually decline and fade.

Oliver Goldsmith's quote serves as a poignant reminder of the transience of human achievements and the inevitable decay that follows. It evokes a sense of melancholy as it illustrates how once-great cities, with their grandeur and significance, eventually succumb to time, nature, and neglect, leaving only ruins behind. The imagery of 'awful ruins' and 'noxious reptiles' conveys the stark contrast between past glory and present desolation, urging us to reflect on our own legacies in the face of mortality.

Themes

ImpermanenceDecayLegacyHistoryRuins

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on the rise and fall of civilizations, this quote could emphasize the importance of preserving cultural heritage.

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