And truth severe, by fairy fiction drest.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The quote describes serious truths that are wrapped or disguised in pleasant stories.
- In plain terms
- Hard facts are often presented in a way that makes them seem like fairy tales.
- What can you take from it?
- Fiction often softens the harshness of reality.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does fiction hide truth or reveal it?
- Why do we prefer stories to facts?
Another view
It suggests that fiction always masks truth rather than revealing it.
More from Thomas Gray
There the thundering strokes begin, There the press, and there the din.
Permalink to quote #48 Visions of glory, spare my aching sight, Ye unborn ages, crowd not on my soul!
Permalink to quote #46 Fair laughs the morn, and soft the zephyr blows, While proudly riding o'er the azure realm In gallant trim the gilded vessel goes; Youth on the prow, and Pleas…
Permalink to quote #45
Related quotes
There was a very consistent creation of a virtual reality, and eventually it collided with our old-fashioned, ordinary reality.
Hans BlixHans Blix quote #7 The symmetry of form attainable in pure fiction can not so readily be achieved in a narration essentially having less to do with fable than with fact. Truth un…
Herman MelvilleHerman Melville quote #58 Fiction has to be plausible. All history has to do is happen.
Harry TurtledoveHarry Turtledove quote #1