A moral, sensible, and well-bred man Will not affront me, and no other can.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Cowper asserts that only a truly virtuous person can treat him with dignity.
- In plain terms
- Only a good and educated man can respect him without causing offense.
- What can you take from it?
- True respect comes from character, not status.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes someone respectful?
- Can manners replace character?
Another view
This view may exclude people who learn manners later.
More from William Cowper
He would not, with a peremptory tone, Assert the nose upon his face his own.
Permalink to quote #39 Pernicious weed! whose scent the fair annoys, Unfriendly to society's chief joys, Thy worst effect is banishing for hours The sex whose presence civilizes ours.
Permalink to quote #41 'Tis hard if all is false that I advance, A fool must now and then be right by chance.
Permalink to quote #38
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