'Twould ring the bells of Heaven The wildest peal for years, If Parson lost his senses And people came to theirs, And he and they together Knelt down with angry prayers For tamed and shabby tigers And dancing dogs and bears, And wretched, blind, pit ponies, And little hunted hares.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Hodgson envisions a heaven where people realize the cruelty of animal entertainment and pray for the victims.
- In plain terms
- People would realize how wrong animal shows are and pray for the animals.
- What can you take from it?
- Awareness of cruelty can lead to collective repentance.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When did you realize something was cruel?
- How can we protect the vulnerable?
Another view
The poem relies on a hypothetical scenario that may never happen.
More from Ralph Hodgson
Time, you old gipsy man, Will you not stay, Put up your caravan Just for one day?
Permalink to quote #1 Reason has moons, but moons not hers Lie mirror'd on her sea, Confounding her astronomers, But, O! delighting me.
Permalink to quote #3 Hodgson, a man of steadfast integrity and strong personality, possessed true distinction.
Permalink to quote #4
Related quotes
There are people who eat earth and eat all the people on it like in the Bible with the locusts. And other people who stand around and watch them eat.
Lillian HellmanLillian Hellman quote #1 Say, lordly Man, of pow'rs possest, That no inferior creatures know; Say, can the mind with reason blest, Relentless fury show. To thy domain all beasts belong…
Elizabeth BentleyElizabeth Bentley quote #1 Cruelty to animals is one of the most significant vices of a low and ignoble people. Wherever one notices them, they constitute a sure sign of ignorance and br…
Alexander von HumboldtAlexander von Humboldt quote #10