--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reader, pray that soon this Iron Age Will…" description: "\"Reader, pray that soon this Iron Age Will crumble, and Beauty escape the rusting cage.\" — Philip Jose Farmer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/philip-jose-farmer-13328_age_reader-pray-that-soon-this-iron-age-will_3143652.jpg" --- # Reader, pray that soon this Iron Age Will crumble, and… ![“Reader, pray that soon this Iron Age Will crumble, and Beauty escape the rusting cage.” quote by Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/philip-jose-farmer-13328_age_reader-pray-that-soon-this-iron-age-will_3143652.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/philip-jose-farmer-13328_age_reader-pray-that-soon-this-iron-age-will_3143652.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2d9/philip-jose-farmer-13328_age_reader-pray-that-soon-this-iron-age-will_3143652.jpg) > “Reader, pray that soon this Iron Age Will crumble, and Beauty escape the rusting cage.” [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poet hopes for societal decline of a harsh era, freeing beauty from oppressive constraints. **In simple terms:** Hope for change to free beauty. Key Takeaway Support progress that liberates creativity. Themes change beauty oppression Mood hopeful poetic Type visionary inspirational When to use this quote - activism - artistic expression - cultural reform Key Concepts sociopolitical critique poetic metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What steps can we take to dismantle oppressive systems? - How does art inspire societal transformation? A Different Perspective Optimism may overlook practical challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Age Crumble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-crumble-5613152/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cages/) [Iron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iron/) [Iron Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iron-age-1577057/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Reader Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-pray-5613150/) [Rusting Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rusting-cage-5613151/) [Soon Iron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soon-iron-5613149/) ## Related quotes > [Beauty in this Iron Age must turn, From fluid living rainbow shapes to torn, And sootened fragments, ashes in an urn, On whose gray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/beauty-in-this-iron-age-must-turn-from-fluid-living-rainbow-shapes-to/) [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [“Religious moderates seem to believe that what we need is not radical insight and innovation in these areas but a mere dilution of Iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/religious-moderates-seem-to-believe-that-what-we-need-is-not-radical/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Our ancestors have travelled the iron age; the golden is before us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-henri-bernardin-de-saint-pierre/our-ancestors-have-travelled-the-iron-age-the-golden-is-before-us/) [Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-henri-bernardin-de-saint-pierre/) > [Children hop around Phylakopi on sea-polished pebbles the size of bean bags and bask themselves, alongside the lizards, astride the sturdily built walls of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/children-hop-around-phylakopi-on-sea-polished-pebbles-the-size-of/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [“Egypt was rich in copper ore, which, as the base of bronze, had been valuable through the entire Meditarranean world. 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Bronze Age. Iron Age. We define entire epics of humanity by the technology they use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/stone-age-bronze-age-iron-age-we-define-entire-epics-of-humanity-by/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [If we are ready to tear down the walls that confine us, break the cage that imprisons us, we will discover what our wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-elmore-meegan/if-we-are-ready-to-tear-down-the-walls-that-confine-us-break-the-cage/) [Michael Elmore-Meegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-elmore-meegan/) > [Peace in the struggle to find peace.. comfort on the way to comfort. And if I shed a tear I won't cage it I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/peace-in-the-struggle-to-find-peace-comfort-on-the-way-to-comfort-and/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [When a captive lion steps out of his cage, he comes into a wider world than the lion who has known only the wilds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/when-a-captive-lion-steps-out-of-his-cage-he-comes-into-a-wider-world/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. 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They go straight up, smooth as a politician denying he ever made a campaign promise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/look-at-those-mountains-they-go-straight-up-smooth-as-a-politician/) [Philip José Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [“First, humiliation, then humility, he would have said. And then comes humanity as a matter of course.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/first-humiliation-then-humility-he-would-have-said-and-then-comes/) [Philip José Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [Sawbeaked epitome of bodiless Idea, tossed by gusts of ether, dive Through abstract mists and raid the sea of fact Eat rich strange fish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/sawbeaked-epitome-of-bodiless-idea-tossed-by-gusts-of-ether-dive/) [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [All the human beings I met were either sure that there would be no afterlife or else that they would get preferential treatment in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/all-the-human-beings-i-met-were-either-sure-that-there-would-be-no/) [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [Let those who think the soul is shallow rail, They must be warned before they dare to leap They'll plunge into the twilight depths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/let-those-who-think-the-soul-is-shallow-rail-they-must-be-warned/) [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [Caught Beauty , held to light, now apes A good, now evil, thing the shifting sign And spectrum of archaic, psychic shapes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/caught-beauty-held-to-light-now-apes-a-good-now-evil-thing-the/) [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [Everybody should fear only one person, and that person should be himself .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/everybody-should-fear-only-one-person-and-that-person-should-be/) [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [It was the essence of life to disbelieve in death for one's self, to act as if life would continue forever. 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