There, by the starlit fences The wanderer halts and hears My soul that lingers sighing About the glimmering weirs.
A. E. HousmanRead
If a man will comprehend the richness and variety of the universe, and inspire his mind with a due measure of wonder and awe, he must contemplate the human intellect not only on its heights of genius but in its abysses of ineptitude.
Interpretation
What this quote means
To truly understand the universe, one must recognize both the heights and depths of human intelligence.
A. E. Housman's quote emphasizes the importance of contemplating the full spectrum of human intellect, from its greatest achievements to its deepest failures. It suggests that true comprehension of the universe requires an appreciation for both the brilliance and the absurdity of human thought, provoking a sense of wonder and humility in the face of our existence.
Themes
UniverseIntellectWonderHumanityAwe
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on philosophy, one might quote this to illustrate the dual nature of human understanding.
More from A. E. Housman
All quotes →Who made the world I cannot tell; 'Tis made, and here am I in hell. My hand, though now my knuckles bleed, I never soiled with such a deed.
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I am not a pessimist but a pejorist (as George Eliot said she was not an optimist but a meliorist); and that philosophy is founded on my observation of the world, not on anything so trivial and irrelevant as personal history.
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Lovers lying two and two Ask not whom they sleep beside, And the bridegroom all night through Never turns him to the bride.
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And malt does more than Milton can to justify God's ways to man.
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Oh, 'tis jesting, dancing, drinking_x000D_ _x000D_ Spins the heavy world around.
A. E. HousmanRead
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