Little thinks, in the field, yon red-cloaked clown, Of thee, from the hill-top looking down; And the heifer, that lows in the upland farm, Far-heard, lows not thine ear to charm; The sexton tolling the bell at noon, Dreams not that great Napoleon Sto
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the indifferent nature of life towards individual concerns and ambitions in the grand scheme of things.
In this quote, Emerson illustrates how various elements of life, such as the red-cloaked clown, the distant heifer, and the sexton tolling the bell, remain oblivious to one another and to the larger historical context, exemplified by Napoleon. This suggests that while individuals may be preoccupied with their own lives, significant events and figures may exist beyond their awareness, highlighting a disconnect between personal experiences and the broader human narrative.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about the nature of individual struggles in the face of historical events.
It is plain that there is no separate essence called courage, no cup or cell in the brain, no vessel in the heart containing drops or atoms that make or give this virtue; but it is the right or healthy state of every man, when he is free to do that which is constitutional to him to do.
Few people have any next, they live from hand to mouth without a plan, and are always at the end of their line.
Men cease to interest us when we find their limitations
Tis the good reader that makes the good book; a good head cannot read amiss: in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakeably meant for his ear.
The world belongs to the energetic.
Hast thou named all the birds without a gun?
The freedom now desired by many is not freedom to do and dare but freedom from care and worry.
I do know my own mind,' protested Anne. 'The trouble is, my mind changes and then I have to get acquainted with it all over again.
I will defend the absolute value of Mozart over Miley Cyrus, of course I will, but we should be wary of false dichotomies. You do not have to choose between one or the other. You can have both. The human cultural jungle should be as varied and plural as the Amazonian rainforest. We are all richer for biodiversity. We may decide that a puma is worth more to us than a caterpillar, but surely we can agree that the habitat is all the better for being able to sustain each.
Do not treat others as you yourself would not be treated.
He Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as one soul and one body.
You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity. At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe.
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