King Lear Quote by Aldous Huxley
““He waved his hand; and it was as though, with an invisible feather wisk, he had brushed away a little dust, and the dust was Harappa, was Ur of the Chaldees; some spider-webs, and they were Thebes and Babylon and Cnossos and Mycenae. Whisk. Whisk—and where was Odysseus, where was Job, where were Jupiter and Gotama and Jesus? Whisk—and those specks of antique dirt called Athens and Rome, Jerusalem and the Middle Kingdom—all were gone. Whisk—the place where Italy had been empty. Whisk, the cathedrals; whisk, whisk, King Lear and the Thoughts of Pascal. Whisk, Passion; whisk, Requiem; whisk, Symphony; whisk...””
About This Quote
Source Novel: “The Doors of Perception” by Aldous Huxley, 1954
The narrator likens the fleeting nature of civilization to dust brushed away by a cat’s whisker, highlighting impermanence and the erasure of history.
In simple terms: Civilizations vanish like dust swept by a whisker.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the fleeting nature of achievements.
Themes
history
impermanence
culture
philosophy
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- philosophical
- historical analysis
- creative writing
Key Concepts
ephemerality
nihilism
cosmic perspective
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this impermanence teach about preserving culture?
- How can we find meaning amid transience?
A Different Perspective
The poetic metaphor may obscure concrete historical lessons.
