Life Quote by Malcolm Lowry
““And the earth itself still turning on its axis and revolving around that sun, the sun revolving around the luminous wheel of this galaxy, the countless unmeasured jewelled wheels of countless unmeasured galaxies, turning, turning, majestically, into infinity, into eternity, through all of which all life ran on—all this, long after she herself was dead, men would still be reading in the night sky, and as the earth turned through those distant seasons, and they watched the constellations still rising, culminating, setting, to rise again—Aries, Taurus, Gemini, the Crab, Leo, Virgo, the Scales and the Scorpion, Capricorn the Sea-goat and Aquarius the Water Bearer, Pisces, and once more, triumphantly, Aries!—would they not, too, still be asking the hopeless eternal question: to what end? What force drives this sublime celestial machinery?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Under the Volcano, 1947
The quote reflects on humanity’s fleeting existence against the vast, indifferent cosmos, questioning purpose amid endless celestial cycles.
In simple terms: Life is brief compared to the endless universe.
Key Takeaway
Seek meaning beyond the fleeting.
Themes
existence
cosmos
purpose
impermanence
Mood
wonderful
melancholic
contemplative
Type
philosophical
poetic
existential
When to use this quote
- stargazing
- philosophical contemplation
- writing
- teaching
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
astronomy
philosophy
existentialism
Questions to Reflect On
- What gives your life purpose amid cosmic indifference?
- How do you find meaning in transient moments?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook human agency and the capacity to create meaning.
