Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, And pause a while from learning to be wise. There mark what ills the scholar's life assail - Toil, envy, want, the patron, and the jail.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Scholars face many hardships like poverty, envy, and imprisonment despite their wisdom.
- In plain terms
- Learning brings hard struggles and dangers.
- What can you take from it?
- Intellectual life often involves significant hardship.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is knowledge worth the cost?
- What risks do you take to learn?
Another view
Not all scholars suffer equally in modern times.
More from Samuel Johnson
Let observation with extensive view Survey mankind, from China to Peru.
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Permalink to quote #36 Ah! let not Censure term our fate our choice, The stage but echoes back the public's voice; The drama's laws the drama's patrons give, For we that live to plea…
Permalink to quote #33
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