Our cure, to be no more; sad cure!
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the idea that sometimes the solution to suffering is simply to cease existence, which is a melancholic perspective.
This quote by John Milton highlights the paradox of seeking a cure for sorrow. It suggests that the ultimate escape from sadness might be the end of one's life itself, implying a deep sense of despair and the weight of emotional pain. Milton's words provoke contemplation about the nature of suffering and the extremes to which one might consider going to find relief.
In practice
This quote could be used in a literary discussion about the portrayal of despair in poetry.
They, looking back, all the eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late their happy seat, Waved over by that flaming brand, the gate With dreadful faces thronged and fiery arms: Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon; The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide; They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.
The stars, that nature hung in heaven, and filled their lamps with everlasting oil, give due light to the misled and lonely traveller.
Ev'n them who kept thy truth so pure of old, When all our fathers worshipp'd stocks and stones.
Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss
The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him.
Apt words have power to suage the tumors of a troubled mind.
Strapped, noosed, nighing his hour, He stood and counted them and cursed his luck; And then the clock collected in the tower Its strength, and struck.
Disobedience to conscience is voluntary; bad poetry, on the other hand, is usually not made on purpose.
I could be content that we might procreate like trees, without conjunction, or that we were any way to perpetuate the world without this trivial and vulgar way of coition; it is the foolishest act a wise man commits in all his life.
The Constitution is a pantheon of values, and a lot of hard cases are hard because the Constitution gives no simple rule of decision for the cases in which one of the values is truly at odds with another.
Serenity comes from the ability to say βYesβ to existence. Courage comes from the ability to say βNoβ to the wrong choices made by others.
To continue living, we have to die. That's the story of humanity - generation after generation - that we are going to die. There's nothing dramatic about death except that one loses one's life.
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