I have always been of the mind that in a democracy manners are the only effective weapons against the bowie-knife.
James Russell LowellRead
What a sense of security in an old book which Time has criticized for us!
Interpretation
What this quote means
Old books offer a sense of security as they have withstood the test of time.
In this quote, James Russell Lowell emphasizes the value of classic literature, suggesting that books which have been scrutinized and critiqued over the years provide a reliable source of wisdom and security. These works have endured, indicating their significance and the lessons they impart to readers across generations.
Themes
BooksWisdomSecurityTimeLiterature
In practice
Example use cases
In a book club meeting discussing the importance of literature.
More from James Russell Lowell
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Not failure, but low aim, is crime.
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Good luck is the willing handmaid of upright, energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty.
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Puritanism, believing itself quick with the seed of religious liberty, laid, without knowing it, the egg of democracy.
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Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.
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