We are the centuries... We have your eoliths and your…
““We are the centuries... We have your eoliths and your mesoliths and your neoliths. We have your Babylons and your Pompeiis, your Caesars and your chromium-plated (vital-ingredient impregnated) artifacts. We have your bloody hatchets and your Hiroshimas. We march in spite of Hell, we do – Atrophy, Entropy, and Proteus vulgaris, telling bawdy jokes about a farm girl name of Eve and a traveling salesman called Lucifer. We bury your dead and their reputations. We bury you. We are the centuries. Be born then, gasp wind, screech at the surgeon’s slap, seek manhood, taste a little godhood, feel pain, give birth, struggle a little while, succumb: (Dying, leave quietly by the rear exit, please.) Generation, regeneration, again, again, as in a ritual, with blood-stained vestments and nail-torn hands, children of Merlin, chasing a gleam. Children, too, of Eve, forever building Edens – and kicking them apart in berserk fury because somehow it isn’t the same. (AGH! AGH! AGH! – an idiot screams his mindless anguish amid the rubble. But quickly! let it be inundated by the choir, chanting Alleluias at ninety decibels.)””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage reflects on humanity’s cyclical rise and fall, the weight of history, and the relentless drive to create and destroy across ages.
In simple terms: Human history repeats, built on past triumphs and tragedies.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the patterns of history and learn from them.
Themes
history
cycle
humanity
creation
destruction
Mood
reflective
somber
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- war
- archaeology
- philosophical reflection
- cultural critique
- legacy building
Key Concepts
entropy
regeneration
myth
ritual
Questions to Reflect On
- How does recognizing cycles empower personal action?
- Can we break destructive patterns?
A Different Perspective
The view may overemphasize fatalism, ignoring agency for change.