Flags Quote by Anne Carson
![“THE PRESOCRATIC PROBLEM [all snap flags] Parmenides named his gun The Hot Power of the Stars. His gun was one, uncreated, imperishable, timeless, changeless, perfect, spherical. Spherical was the problem.” quote by Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ea8/anne-carson-1985_flags_the-presocratic-problem-all-snap-flags-p_1099431.jpg)
“THE PRESOCRATIC PROBLEM [all snap flags] Parmenides named his gun The Hot Power of the Stars. His gun was one, uncreated, imperishable, timeless, changeless, perfect, spherical. Spherical was the problem.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: Autobiography of Red, Anne Carson, 1998
The quote juxtaposes a mythic, immutable weapon with the paradox of its spherical nature, highlighting the tension between permanence and the challenges of perfect form.
In simple terms: A perfect, unchanging object can still be problematic.
Key Takeaway
Embrace imperfections in seemingly flawless things.
Themes
philosophy
myth
paradox
perfection
form
Mood
thoughtful
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Art critique
- philosophical discussion
- creative writing
- teaching geometry
Key Concepts
Ontology
metaphysics
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does perfection become a problem?
- Can something be both perfect and problematic?
A Different Perspective
Even immutable concepts face practical limits.
![“It wasn't [Barack] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being wheeled by her son waving a big American flag, and then seeing a guy with his baby in his arms saying, "I didn't want her to miss tonight! I wanted to be able to tell her!" And…” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/806/bill-ayers-1848_able_it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the_20409.jpg)
