God how I hate new countries: They are older than the old, more sophisticated, much more conceited, only young in a certain puerile vanity more like senility than anything.
D. H. LawrenceRead
Curse the blasted, jelly-boned swines, the slimy, the belly-wriggling invertebrates, the miserable soddingrotters, the flaming sods, the sniveling, dribbling, dithering, palsied, pulse-less lot that make up England today. They've got white of egg in their veins, and their spunk is that watery it's a marvel they can breed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses deep frustration and disdain for the current state of society.
In this quote, D. H. Lawrence conveys a strong feeling of disappointment and contempt towards the people of England at that time. His vivid and derogatory language criticizes what he perceives as moral decay and weakness in society, emphasizing a longing for more vigorous and spirited individuals who embody strength and vitality. The metaphorical expressions highlight an alarming sense of disconnection from core human qualities, suggesting a broader commentary on societal values and cultural stagnation.
Themes
DiscontentSocietyCritiqueVitalityWeakness
In practice
Example use cases
During a literary discussion about societal changes, one might quote this to emphasize the decline in moral values.
More from D. H. Lawrence
All quotes βA young man is afraid of his demon and puts his hand over the demon's mouth sometimes and speaks for him. And the things the young man says are very rarely poetry.
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And besides, look at elder flowers and bluebells-they are a sign that pure creation takes place - even the butterfly. But humanity never gets beyond the caterpillar stage -it rots in the chrysalis, it never will have wings.It is anti-creation, like monkeys and baboons.
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The Christian fear of the pagan outlook has damaged the whole consciousness of man.
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The cosmos is a vast living body, of which we are still parts. The sun is a great heart whose tremors run through our smallest veins. The moon is a great nerve center from which we quiver forever. Who knows the power that Saturn has over us, or Venus? But it is a vital power, rippling exquisitely through us all the time.
D. H. LawrenceRead
... he preferred his own madness, to the regular sanity. He rejoiced in his own madness, he was free. He did not want that old sanity of the world, which was become so repulsive. He rejoiced in the new-found world of his madness. It was so fresh and delicate and so satisfying.
D. H. LawrenceRead
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