If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore, and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Emerson contrasts the rarity of miracles with the daily presence of beauty in the stars, suggesting we take the familiar for granted.
- In plain terms
- We would worship stars if they appeared once in a thousand years, but we see them every night.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize the extraordinary value in everyday beauty.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What common sights do you overlook as if they were rare?
- How would your perspective change if beauty appeared only rarely?
Another view
Some find wonder more readily in rare events than daily routines.
More from Ralph Waldo Emerson
Undoubtedly we have no questions to ask which are unanswerable. We must trust the perfection of the creation so far, as to believe that whatever curiosity the …
Permalink to quote #50 The stars awaken a certain reverence, because though always present, they are inaccessible; but all natural objects make a kindred impression, when the mind is…
Permalink to quote #52 Our age is retrospective. It builds the sepulchres of the fathers. It writes biographies, histories, and criticism. The foregoing generation beheld God and nat…
Permalink to quote #49
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