--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thus like a Captive in an Isle confin'd…" description: "\"“Thus like a Captive in an Isle confin'd, Man walks at large, a Pris'ner of the Mind”\" — John Dryden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/john-dryden-491_captive_thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d_424755.jpg" --- # Thus like a Captive in an Isle confin'd, Man walks at… ![“Thus like a Captive in an Isle confin'd, Man walks at large, a Pris'ner of the Mind” quote by John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/john-dryden-491_captive_thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d_424755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/john-dryden-491_captive_thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d_424755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/john-dryden-491_captive_thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d_424755.jpg) > ““Thus like a Captive in an Isle confin'd, Man walks at large, a Pris'ner of the Mind”” [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human minds are confined like prisoners, limiting freedom despite physical liberty. **In simple terms:** Minds can imprison us. Key Takeaway Practice mental freedom through critical thinking. Themes freedom mind confinement philosophy Mood reflective serious Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - education - creative work - mindfulness - overcoming limiting beliefs Key Concepts metaphor psychology Questions to Reflect On - What mental prisons hold you? - How can you expand your mental horizons? A Different Perspective Changing mindset is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Captive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captive/) [Captive Isle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captive-isle-3757072/) [Like Captive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-captive-3757073/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Man Walks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-walks-241220/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Walks Large](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walks-large-3757074/) ## Related quotes > [“By the time she had finished, her hand was in Elizabeth's firm clasp again. 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We even went so far as to defend the very constraints that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/we-were-like-captive-animals-that-had-lost-the-will-to-fight-we-even/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [A blind man walks into a bar...and a table...and a chair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-blind-man-walks-into-a-bar-and-a-table-and-a-chair/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dyslexic man walks into a bra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-cooper/a-dyslexic-man-walks-into-a-bra/) [Tommy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-cooper/) > [The man who walks with God always gets to his destination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrietta-mears/the-man-who-walks-with-god-always-gets-to-his-destination/) [Henrietta Mears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrietta-mears/) > [A man walks into a bar, and he said OUCH, cause it was an iron bar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-cooper/a-man-walks-into-a-bar-and-he-said-ouch-cause-it-was-an-iron-bar/) [Tommy Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-cooper/) > [The man who walks alone is soon trailed by the F.B.I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wright-morris/the-man-who-walks-alone-is-soon-trailed-by-the-f-b-i/) [Wright Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wright-morris/) > [If a man walks in beauty, he will create, and when he creates, he prospers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/if-a-man-walks-in-beauty-he-will-create-and-when-he-creates-he/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [Whatever the mind sets itself on is what the man walks after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/watchman-nee/whatever-the-mind-sets-itself-on-is-what-the-man-walks-after/) [Watchman Nee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/watchman-nee/) > [In the morning a man walks with his whole body; in the evening, only with his legs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/in-the-morning-a-man-walks-with-his-whole-body-in-the-evening-only/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The great man... walks across his century and leaves the marks of his feet all over it, ripping out the dates on his goloshes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-leacock/the-great-man-walks-across-his-century-and-leaves-the-marks-of-his/) [Stephen Leacock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-leacock/) > [“The young man walks by himself, fast but not fast enough, far but not far enough (faces slide out of sight, talk trails into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dos-passos/the-young-man-walks-by-himself-fast-but-not-fast-enough-far-but-not/) [John Dos Passos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dos-passos/) > [The man who walks with wise men becomes wise himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon/the-man-who-walks-with-wise-men-becomes-wise-himself/) [Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon/) > [“A man walks past me with his dog on a lead, bounding ahead of him, and I realize that’s how I feel: like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-broadway/a-man-walks-past-me-with-his-dog-on-a-lead-bounding-ahead-of-him-and/) [Alice Broadway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-broadway/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) ## More by John Dryden > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Trust on and think To-morrow will repay; To-morrow's falser than the former day; Lies worse; and while it says, we shall be blest With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/trust-on-and-think-to-morrow-will-repay-to-morrow-s-falser-than-the/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [To take up half on trust, and half to try, Name it not faith but bungling bigotry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/to-take-up-half-on-trust-and-half-to-try-name-it-not-faith-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Among our crimes oblivion may be set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/among-our-crimes-oblivion-may-be-set/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [And after hearing what our Church can say, If still our reason runs another way, That private reason 'tis more just to curb, Than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/and-after-hearing-what-our-church-can-say-if-still-our-reason-runs/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Happy, happy, happy pair! None but the brave deserves the fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/happy-happy-happy-pair-none-but-the-brave-deserves-the-fair/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [A coward is the kindest animal; 'Tis the most forgiving creature in a fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/a-coward-is-the-kindest-animal-tis-the-most-forgiving-creature-in-a/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [God never made his work for man to mend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/god-never-made-his-work-for-man-to-mend/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Reason to rule, mercy to forgive: The first is law, the last prerogative. Life is an adventure in forgiveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/reason-to-rule-mercy-to-forgive-the-first-is-law-the-last-prerogative/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Stiff opinion, always in the wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/stiff-opinion-always-in-the-wrong/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [He with a graceful pride, While his rider every hand survey'd, Sprung loose, and flew into an escapade; Not moving forward, yet with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/he-with-a-graceful-pride-while-his-rider-every-hand-survey-d-sprung/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Men's virtues I have commended as freely as I have taxed their crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/men-s-virtues-i-have-commended-as-freely-as-i-have-taxed-their-crimes/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Virtue without success is a fair picture shown by an ill light; but lucky men are favorites of heaven; all own the chief, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/virtue-without-success-is-a-fair-picture-shown-by-an-ill-light-but/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Zeal, the blind conductor of the will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/zeal-the-blind-conductor-of-the-will/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [“Night came, but unattended with repose. Alone she came, no sleep their eyes to close. Alone and black she came; no friendly stars arose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/night-came-but-unattended-with-repose-alone-she-came-no-sleep-their/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) [Explore all 520 John Dryden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## More Captive quotes > [“Looking out the rain-fogged window at the gray November day, Mary felt almost grateful for the snug warmth of her well-heated chamber. Escape, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-george/looking-out-the-rain-fogged-window-at-the-gray-november-day-mary-felt/) [Margaret George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-george/) > [“Cathy, don't look so defeated. She was only trying to put us down again. Maybe nothing did work out right for her, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-c-andrews/cathy-don-t-look-so-defeated-she-was-only-trying-to-put-us-down-again/) [V.C. Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-c-andrews/) > [My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/my-name-is-truth-and-i-am-the-most-elusive-captive-in-the-universe/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Make me a captive Lord, then I shall be truly free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/make-me-a-captive-lord-then-i-shall-be-truly-free/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [“Trauma is personal. It does not disappear if it is not validated. When it is ignored or invalidated the silent screams continue internally heard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-bernock/trauma-is-personal-it-does-not-disappear-if-it-is-not-validated-when/) [Danielle Bernock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-bernock/) > [“He knew that no matter what, this woman, once his blood slave, then his greatest downfall, and finally his salvation would never fail to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-stevens/he-knew-that-no-matter-what-this-woman-once-his-blood-slave-then-his/) [Erica Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-stevens/) > [“Every person I save is another victory against the evil that festers in this world and I will not rest until every captive is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kinley-macgregor/every-person-i-save-is-another-victory-against-the-evil-that-festers/) [Kinley MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kinley-macgregor/) > [“One of the worst cases of employee abuse that I witnessed in the workplace was a toxic manager holding employees captive in a remote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/one-of-the-worst-cases-of-employee-abuse-that-i-witnessed-in-the/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“I wonder which one of us is more despicable.Is it the person relentlessly chasing after love or the person desperately holding it captive? We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahlia-lu/i-wonder-which-one-of-us-is-more-despicable-is-it-the-person/) [Dahlia Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dahlia-lu/) > [Our bodies are held captive, but our pursuit of freedom cannot be contained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/our-bodies-are-held-captive-but-our-pursuit-of-freedom-cannot-be/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [The rise of digital technology put marketers in a bind. No longer a captive audience, consumers were splitting their time across devices, social networks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-amos/the-rise-of-digital-technology-put-marketers-in-a-bind-no-longer-a/) [Shawn Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-amos/) > [Oh, Jacques, we're used to each other, we're a pair of captive hawks caught in the same cage, and so we've grown used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/oh-jacques-we-re-used-to-each-other-we-re-a-pair-of-captive-hawks/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“Damn, Ian was already there. I braced myself as he came out from behind the RV. He sniffed, his nose wrinkling. Then he looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/damn-ian-was-already-there-i-braced-myself-as-he-came-out-from-behind/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [In 'Falling Skies,' I was playing a soldier and a fighter, and then, when I was taken captive, you're still in this post-apocalyptic world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/in-falling-skies-i-was-playing-a-soldier-and-a-fighter-and-then-when/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [Cage of freedom, that's our prison; we're the jailer and captive combined Cage of freedom, cast in power; all the trappings of our own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-anderson/cage-of-freedom-that-s-our-prison-we-re-the-jailer-and-captive/) [Jon Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-anderson/) [Browse all 138 Captive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Thus like a Captive in an Isle confin'd, Man walks at large, a Pris'ner of the Mind”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Dryden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d-man-walks-at-large-a-pris-ner/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Captive" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d-man-walks-at-large-a-pris-ner/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/john-dryden-491_captive_thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d_424755.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/john-dryden-491_captive_thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d_424755.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/904/john-dryden-491_captive_thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d_424755.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thus like a Captive in an Isle confin'd, Man walks at large, a Pris'ner of the Mind” — John Dryden", "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": "John Dryden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Thus like a Captive in an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d-man-walks-at-large-a-pris-ner/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/thus-like-a-captive-in-an-isle-confin-d-man-walks-at-large-a-pris-ner/#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 } } ] } ```