Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay; Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade; A breath can make them, as a breath has made; But a bold peasantry, their country's pride, When once destroyed, can never be supplied.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Goldsmith argues that when wealth concentrates among the elite, the common people suffer and decline. A nation's true strength lies in its independent farmers, who once lost, cannot be replaced.
- In plain terms
- Wealth concentration harms the poor, and destroying the working class ruins a country permanently.
- What can you take from it?
- Protect the independent workforce to sustain a nation's health.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does wealth concentration affect social stability today?
- What defines a nation's true pride?
Another view
The quote romanticizes agrarian life and overlooks modern economic complexities.
More from Oliver Goldsmith
The bashful virgin's sidelong looks of love, The matron's glance that would those looks reprove.
Permalink to quote #50 His best companions, innocence and health; And his best riches, ignorance of wealth.
Permalink to quote #52 Measures, not men, have always been my mark.
Permalink to quote #49
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