---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: when a great war has cut off the young…"
description: "\"when a great war has cut off the young men of a nation it never can be told thereafter what losses of scholars, poets, thinkers and great designers the..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/james-vila-blake-28845_country_when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-m_2023578.jpg"
---

#  when a great war has cut off the young men of a nation it…

![“when a great war has cut off the young men of a nation it never can be told thereafter what losses of scholars, poets, thinkers and great designers the country and the world have suffered.” quote by James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/james-vila-blake-28845_country_when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-m_2023578.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/james-vila-blake-28845_country_when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-m_2023578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/james-vila-blake-28845_country_when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-m_2023578.jpg)

> “when a great war has cut off the young men of a nation it never can be told thereafter what losses of scholars, poets, thinkers and great designers the country and the world have suffered.”

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

War deprives a nation of its intellectual and creative elite, causing irreversible cultural loss.

**In simple terms:** War steals thinkers and creators.

Key Takeaway

Preserve and value intellectual talent.

Themes

war culture loss education

Mood

somber thoughtful

Type

historical philosophical

When to use this quote

- policy making
- historical analysis
- cultural preservation
- education planning

Key Concepts

human capital creative potential historical impact

Questions to Reflect On

- What cultural losses have you witnessed in conflict?
- How can societies protect intellectuals during turmoil?

A Different Perspective

Not all wars have equal impact; some societies rebuild intellectual life quickly.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Great war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-war/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Losses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losses/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Scholar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholar/) [Thinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinker/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/)

## Related quotes

> [In the account book of the Great War the page recording the Russian losses has been ripped out. The figures are unknown. Five millions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/in-the-account-book-of-the-great-war-the-page-recording-the-russian-2/)

[Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/)

> [In the account book of the Great War the page recording the Russian losses has been ripped out. The figures are unknown. Five millions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/in-the-account-book-of-the-great-war-the-page-recording-the-russian/)

[Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/)

> [I wondered how many people there were in the world who suffered, and continued to suffer, because they could not break out from their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/i-wondered-how-many-people-there-were-in-the-world-who-suffered-and/)

[Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/)

> [Who can describe the injustice and the cruelties that in the course of centuries the peoples of color of the world have suffered at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/who-can-describe-the-injustice-and-the-cruelties-that-in-the-course/)

[Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/)

> [We have done almost everything in pairs since Noah, except govern. And the world has suffered for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-abzug/we-have-done-almost-everything-in-pairs-since-noah-except-govern-and/)

[Bella Abzug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-abzug/)

> [Japan is the only country in the world to have suffered the ravages of atomic bombing. That experience left an indelible mark on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eisaku-sato/japan-is-the-only-country-in-the-world-to-have-suffered-the-ravages/)

[Eisaku Sato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eisaku-sato/)

> [If communist unions ever gain a position to exercise influence in the transport lanes of the world, the free world will have suffered a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kennedy/if-communist-unions-ever-gain-a-position-to-exercise-influence-in-the/)

[Robert Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kennedy/)

> [“Luther's return from the cloister to the world was the worst blow the world had suffered since the days of early Christianity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/luther-s-return-from-the-cloister-to-the-world-was-the-worst-blow-the/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [The world has suffered more from the ravages of ill-advised marriages than from virginity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/the-world-has-suffered-more-from-the-ravages-of-ill-advised-marriages/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [“It seemed incredible to me now that I had never understood. I wondered how many people there were in the world who suffered, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-du-maurier/it-seemed-incredible-to-me-now-that-i-had-never-understood-i-wondered/)

[Daphne du Maurier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-du-maurier/)

> [Japan is the only country in the world which suffered from the scourge of nuclear weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshiro-mori/japan-is-the-only-country-in-the-world-which-suffered-from-the/)

Yoshiro Mori

> [“When I think of how much this world has suffered; when I think of how long our fathers were slaves, of how they cringed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/when-i-think-of-how-much-this-world-has-suffered-when-i-think-of-how/)

[Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/)

> [“I have observed that the world has suffered far less from ignorance than from pretensions to knowledge. It is not skeptics or explorers but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-boorstin/i-have-observed-that-the-world-has-suffered-far-less-from-ignorance/)

Daniel Boorstin

> [Being a powerful woman who also exhibits great warmth is an incredible feat because people think that to be powerful you have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-swift/being-a-powerful-woman-who-also-exhibits-great-warmth-is-an/)

[Taylor Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-swift/)

> [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/)

Joseph Joffre

## More by James Vila Blake

> [Meditation is first quietness. We live in a great din. It is well to see (for who sees it not will have but narrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/meditation-is-first-quietness-we-live-in-a-great-din-it-is-well-to/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [Meditation ... must be power of will and strength of attention, being like a flight to great heights wherein wings must be plied hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/meditation-must-be-power-of-will-and-strength-of-attention-being-like/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [Democracy has become, unless I mistake, a kind of test or shibboleth, by which we try men and measures; and this is the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/democracy-has-become-unless-i-mistake-a-kind-of-test-or-shibboleth-by/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [Luck, good or bad, is the invisible play of mind upon affairs, the effect of mental aptitudes and habits which are not in sight,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/luck-good-or-bad-is-the-invisible-play-of-mind-upon-affairs-the/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [It is worth thought what kind of mind or condition or disposition is open to flattery; for poison would not be spread if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/it-is-worth-thought-what-kind-of-mind-or-condition-or-disposition-is/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [As anger is a passion, it is to be ruled; as it is a weak passion, he is weak who rules it not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/as-anger-is-a-passion-it-is-to-be-ruled-as-it-is-a-weak-passion-he-is/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [An enemy will train us in watchfulness; for if he be wary to seize on every error and trip us, we shall be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/an-enemy-will-train-us-in-watchfulness-for-if-he-be-wary-to-seize-on/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [This is our great covenant: To dwell together in peace, To seek the truth in love, And to help one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/this-is-our-great-covenant-to-dwell-together-in-peace-to-seek-the/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [The greatness of common sense, and its title to reverence, appear in this, that it deals with vast complexity, that is, with the innumerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/the-greatness-of-common-sense-and-its-title-to-reverence-appear-in/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [Like all passions, anger has degrees, ascending from slight vexation through deepening clouds to rage, and finally to fury, which is a black and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/like-all-passions-anger-has-degrees-ascending-from-slight-vexation/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [The fear of death has been raised too much and set up on high, especially by preachers, like the brazen serpent in the wilderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/the-fear-of-death-has-been-raised-too-much-and-set-up-on-high/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [Now, if we understand what unlucky persons are, we shall see that they are to be shunned, or that we are to consort with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/now-if-we-understand-what-unlucky-persons-are-we-shall-see-that-they/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [As but a swift glance is enough to catch the glory of a great landscape, or only a little lingering is necessary to observe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/as-but-a-swift-glance-is-enough-to-catch-the-glory-of-a-great/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [Individuality in opinion, or, what is more, in thinking, is simply one with thinking at all; for he who thinks thereby looks at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/individuality-in-opinion-or-what-is-more-in-thinking-is-simply-one/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

> [Common sense is so just an understanding that it rises almost to a virtue; in truth, it involves virtues and their participation in judgment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/common-sense-is-so-just-an-understanding-that-it-rises-almost-to-a/)

[James Vila Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

[Explore all 19 James Vila Blake quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/)

## More Country quotes

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/)

[Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/)

> [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/)

[Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/)

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

> [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/)

[Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/)

> [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/)

[Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/)

[Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "when a great war has cut off the young men of a nation it never can be told thereafter what losses of scholars, poets, thinkers and great designers the country and the world have suffered.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Vila Blake"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-men-of-a-nation-it-never-can/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Country"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-men-of-a-nation-it-never-can/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/james-vila-blake-28845_country_when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-m_2023578.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/james-vila-blake-28845_country_when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-m_2023578.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/james-vila-blake-28845_country_when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-m_2023578.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“when a great war has cut off the young men of a nation it never can be told thereafter what losses of…” — James Vila Blake",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "James Vila Blake",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vila-blake/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "when a great war has cut...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-men-of-a-nation-it-never-can/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vila-blake/when-a-great-war-has-cut-off-the-young-men-of-a-nation-it-never-can/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
