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 most virtuous are those who content themselves with being virtuous without seeking to appear so.
It is time that Christians were judged more by their likeness to Christ than their notions of Christ. Were this sentiment generally admitted we should not see such tenacious adherence to what men deem the opinions and doctrines of Christ while at the same time in every day practise is exhibited anything but a likeness to Christ.
Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile; Filths savour but themselves.
We are all victims of the violence that animals suffer... their liberation is also our liberation.
Yes, always avoid violence. In this age of charity and kindliness, the time has gone by for such things. Leave dynamite to the low and unrefined.
It's just a feeling I have. What you see with your eyes is not necessarily real. My enemy is, among other things, the me inside me.
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