Liberty's in every blow! Let us do or die.
Robert BurnsRead
I'm truly sorry man's dominion has broken Nature's social union.
Interpretation
The quote expresses regret over humanity's disruption of the natural order and interconnectedness in nature.
Robert Burns laments the consequences of human actions that have disturbed the delicate balance and harmony found in nature. By referring to 'man's dominion', he critiques the tendency of humans to exert control over the environment, resulting in a break from the inherent connection shared among all living beings. This quote serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving the natural world and recognizing the intricate relationships within it.
In practice
During a speech at an environmental conference.
Liberty's in every blow! Let us do or die.
Love's first snow-drop, virgin kiss.
All-cheering Plenty, with her flowing horn, Led yellow Autumn, wreath'd with nodding corn.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to min?
Apropos, is not the Scotch phrase 'Auld Lang Syne' exceedingly expressive? I shall give you the verses on the other sheet. The words of 'Auld Lang Syne' are good, but the music is an old air, the rudiments of the modern tune of that name. ... Dare to be honest and fear no labor. ... Opera is where a man gets stabbed in the back, and instead of dying, he sings. ... Chords that vibrate sweetest pleasure thrill the deepest notes of woe. ... Critics! Those cut-throat bandits in the paths of fame.
While Europe's eye is fix'd on mighty things, The fate of empires and the fall of kings; While quacks of State must each produce his plan, And even children lisp the Rights of Man; Amid this mighty fuss just let me mention, The Rights of Woman merit some attention.
I love snow, snow, and all the forms of radiant frost.
The most common form of terrorism in the U.S.A. is that carried on by bulldozers and chainsaws. It is not enough to understand the natural world; the point is to defend and preserve it. Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.
Nature can't evolve a species that hasn't the will to survive. Individuals might be bred to sacrifice themselves, but the race as a whole can never cease to exist.
Every spring I hear the thrush singing in the glowing woods he is only passing through. His voice is deep, then he lifts it until it seems to fall from the sky. I am thrilled. I am grateful. Then, by the end of morning, he's gone, nothing but silence out of the tree where he rested for a night. And this I find acceptable. Not enough is a poor life. But too much is, well, too much. Imagine Verdi or Mahler every day, all day. It would exhaust anyone.
The fact that the colors in the flower have evolved in order to attract insects to pollinate it is interesting; that means insects can see the colors. That adds a question: does this aesthetic sense we have also exist in lower forms of life?
It is the sweetest spring within the memory of man. So green, so mild, so beautiful! Ah, what a contrast between nature without and my own soul so torn with doubt and terror!
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