Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is and saw Virtue in her shape how lovely: and pined his loss
Interpretation
The quote reflects the internal struggle between good and evil, highlighting the beauty of virtue and the torment of recognizing one's own failings.
In this quote, John Milton personifies the devil experiencing shame as he observes the inherent beauty of goodness and virtue. This moment of self-awareness unveils the torment of moral failure and reveals the deep desire for a purity that he cannot attain, suggesting that even the most malevolent can recognize the allure of goodness and feel regret for what they lack.
In practice
In a speech about morality, one could use this quote to emphasize the struggle between good and evil.
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.
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.
Bacchus, that first from out the purple grape_x000D_ _x000D_ Crush'd the sweet poison of misused wine.
Sometimes people's spiritual ideas become fixed and they use them against those who don't share their beliefs - in effect, becoming fundamentalist. It's very dangerous - the finger of righteous indignation pointing at someone who is identified as bad or wrong.
Religions are, by definition, metaphors, after all: God is a dream, a hope, a woman, an ironist, a father, a city, a house of many rooms, a watchmaker who left his prize chronometer in the desert, someone who loves you - even, perhaps, against all evidence, a celestial being whose only interest is to make sure your football team, army, business, or marriage thrives, prospers, and triumphs over all opposition.
Possibly it had occurred to him the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. [...] It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.
Genuine equality between the sexes can only be realized in the process of the socialist transformation of society as a whole.
Allah the Exalted loves him who forgoes worldly life, the Angels love him who rejects the vices, and the Muslims love him who gives up greediness in respect of the Muslims.
When I circled the moon and looked back at Earth, my outlook on life and my viewpoint of Earth changed... Earth is a spaceship, just like Apollo - and just like Apollo, the crew must learn to live and work together. We must learn to manage the resources of this world with new imagination.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.