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Able Quote by John Milton

“But say That death be not one stroke, as I supposed, Bereaving sense, but endless misery From this day onward, which I feel begun Both in me, and without me, and so last To perpetuity; ay me, that fear Comes thund'ring back with dreadful revolution On my defenceless head; both Death and I Am found…” quote by John Milton
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“But say That death be not one stroke, as I supposed, Bereaving sense, but endless misery From this day onward, which I feel begun Both in me, and without me, and so last To perpetuity; ay me, that fear Comes thund'ring back with dreadful revolution On my defenceless head; both Death and I Am found eternal, and incorporate both, Nor I on my part single, in me all Paradise Lost Posterity stands cursed: fair patrimony That I must leave ye, sons; O were I able To waste it all myself, and leave ye none!”

John Milton

About This Quote

Source Poem: Paradise Lost, Book I, 1667

The speaker laments an endless cycle of suffering and fear, feeling trapped between death and eternity.

In simple terms: Endless suffering and fear grip the speaker.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge and confront inner turmoil.

Themes

suffering fear eternity existential despair

Mood

melancholic introspective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • personal reflection
  • therapy
  • literary analysis
  • spiritual counseling

Key Concepts

nihilism psychological torment existential dread

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does this reveal about human resilience?
  • Can despair be transformed?
A Different Perspective

The perspective may overlook hope or agency.

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