Absurd Quote by Edwin Percy Whipple
“No language can fitly express the meanness, the baseness, the brutality, with which the world has ever treated its victims of one age and boasts of the next. Dante is worshipped at that grave to which he was hurried by persecution. Milton, in his own day, was "Mr. Milton, the blind adder, that spit his venom on the king's person"; and soon after, "the mighty orb of song." These absurd transitions from hatred to apotheosis, this recognition just at the moment when it becomes a mockery, saddens all intellectual history.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Reflections on Historical Persecution of Artists, 1850
The writer laments how societies alternately vilify and glorify artists, noting the cruel cycles of oppression and later reverence that mar intellectual history.
In simple terms: Artists are often first condemned then celebrated, a tragic pattern.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and resist cyclical oppression of creators.
Themes
history
art
persecution
culture
intellectualism
Mood
somber
critical
Type
analytical
reflective
When to use this quote
- literary criticism
- human rights advocacy
- museum curation
- education curricula
Key Concepts
cultural memory
moral hypocrisy
artist rights
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do societies swing between hatred and idolization?
- How can we sustain respect for creators?
A Different Perspective
Not all societies follow this pattern; some protect artists consistently.
