--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Language and, presumably, literature are…" description: "\"Language and, presumably, literature are more ancient and inevitable, more durable than any form of social organization. The revulsion, irony, or indif..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/joseph-brodsky-1225_ancient_language-and-presumably-literature-are-m_2079780.jpg" --- # Language and, presumably, literature are more ancient and… ![“Language and, presumably, literature are more ancient and inevitable, more durable than any form of social organization. The revulsion, irony, or indifference often expressed by literature toward the state is essentially the reaction of the permanent-better yet, the infinite-against the temporary…” quote by Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/joseph-brodsky-1225_ancient_language-and-presumably-literature-are-m_2079780.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/joseph-brodsky-1225_ancient_language-and-presumably-literature-are-m_2079780.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/839/joseph-brodsky-1225_ancient_language-and-presumably-literature-are-m_2079780.jpg) > “Language and, presumably, literature are more ancient and inevitable, more durable than any form of social organization. The revulsion, irony, or indifference often expressed by literature toward the state is essentially the reaction of the permanent-better yet, the infinite-against the temporary, against the finite.” [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literature endures beyond political structures, expressing timeless truths that outlast temporary regimes. **In simple terms:** Literature outlives governments, showing lasting human concerns. Key Takeaway Recognize literature’s power to critique and transcend politics. Themes literature philosophy politics eternity culture Mood thoughtful contemplative Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - academic curricula - public discourse - cultural preservation - art criticism Key Concepts metaphor historical continuity critical theory Questions to Reflect On - What does literature reveal about society’s deeper values? - How can we protect literary independence? A Different Perspective Literature can be co‑opted by power, limiting its subversive impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-inevitable-3049935/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Finite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finite/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitable/) [Infinite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infinite/) [Irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irony/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Literature Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-ancient-4007159/) [Literature State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature-state-1157838/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Permanent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanent/) [Presumably Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presumably-literature-4055308/) [Reactions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reactions/) [Revulsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revulsion/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-organization/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Temporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temporary/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [A language is a more ancient and inevitable thing than any state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/a-language-is-a-more-ancient-and-inevitable-thing-than-any-state/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [I do not know where to find in any literature, whether ancient or modern, any adequate account of that Nature with which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-do-not-know-where-to-find-in-any-literature-whether-ancient-or/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Language is the medium of literature, and the state of the language at any time can hardly fail to carry literary consequences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-burrow/language-is-the-medium-of-literature-and-the-state-of-the-language-at/) [J.A. 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