At least the Pilgrim Fathers used to shoot Indians: the Pilgrim Children merely punch time clocks.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author contrasts the violent actions of past religious settlers with the mundane, repetitive routines of their modern descendants.
- In plain terms
- Old settlers committed violence, but modern descendants just do boring work.
- What can you take from it?
- Civilization can replace violence with boredom.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is modern progress just a different kind of constraint?
- How does routine compare to violence?
Another view
The statement oversimplifies complex historical realities for the sake of contrast.
More from E. E. Cummings
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