The sequoias belong to the silences of the milleniums. Many of them have seen a hundred human generations rise, give off their little clamors and perish. They seem indeed to be forms of immortality standing here amoing the transitory shapes of time.
Interpretation
The sequoias symbolize eternal endurance and witness the fleeting nature of human existence.
In this quote, Edwin Markham reflects on the ancient sequoia trees, which have stood tall for millennia, observing countless human lives come and go. They represent a form of immortality, contrasting the transient nature of humanity, as these majestic trees continue to thrive while human generations rise and fall.
In practice
In a speech about environmental conservation, you might use this quote to emphasize the importance of protecting ancient trees.
Greed and Gain, grim guardians of the great god Mammon, continually cry in the ears of the poor, 'Give us your little ones!' And forever do the poor push out their little ones at the imperious ukase, feeding the children to a blind Hunger that is never filled.
Sorrows come to stretch out places in the heart for joy.
There is a destiny which makes us brothers; none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.
The crest and crowning of all good, life's final star, is Brotherhood.
He drew a circle that shut me out- Heretic , rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and took him In ! From the poem " Outwitted
For all your days be prepared, and meet them ever alike. When you are the anvil, bear - when you are the hammer, strike.
We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation.
That was when we smelled the rain. It was so strong it seemed like more than just a smell. When we stretched out our hands we could practically feel it rising up from the ground. I don’t know how a person could ever describe that scent.
In nature we find not only that which is expedient, but also everything which is not so inexpedient as to endanger the existence of the species.
We ogle plants and animals up close on television, the Internet and in the movies. We may not worship the animals we see, but we still regard them as necessary physical and spiritual companions. Technological nature can't completely satisfy that yearning.
To me the question of the environment is more ominous than that of peace and war...I'm more worried about global warming than I am of any major military conflict.
In the animal kingdom, one of the keys to survival is to outwit your enemies. And when you're surrounded by carnivores, one of the best strategies is to fade into the background and disappear.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.