Aloof with hermit-eye I scan The present works of present man - A wild and dreamlike trade of blood and guile, Too foolish for a tear, too wicked for a smile!
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author views current human activity as chaotic and morally corrupt, dismissing it as too trivial for sadness and too evil for joy.
- In plain terms
- Human actions today are wild and dishonest, not worth crying or smiling about.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize when societal progress feels morally bankrupt.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When did you last feel indifferent to news?
- Is neutrality a valid response to evil?
Another view
It generalizes all human effort as worthless.
More from Samuel Taylor Coleridge
All thoughts, all passions, all delights, Whatever stirs this mortal frame, All are but ministers of Love, And feed his sacred flame.
Permalink to quote #10 Hast thou a charm to stay the morning star In his steep course?
Permalink to quote #12 In the hexameter rises the fountain's silvery column; In the pentameter aye falling in melody back.
Permalink to quote #9
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