--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the earth the broken arcs; in the…" description: "\"On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.\" — Robert Browning" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/robert-browning-734_broken_on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heav_1234417.png" --- # On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round. ![“On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.” quote by Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/robert-browning-734_broken_on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heav_1234417.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/robert-browning-734_broken_on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heav_1234417.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/robert-browning-734_broken_on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heav_1234417.png) > “On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.” [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He contrasts earthly imperfections with heavenly perfection, suggesting a gap between human flaws and divine order. **In simple terms:** Earth is flawed; heaven is perfect. Key Takeaway Seek higher ideals. Themes imperfection divine contrast Mood thoughtful contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal growth - art criticism - spiritual contemplation Key Concepts metaphor theology human condition Questions to Reflect On - What imperfections do you accept? - How can you emulate heavenly qualities? A Different Perspective Ideal may seem unattainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Heaven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heaven/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [“Heaven is not a place, and it's not a time. Heaven is being perfect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/heaven-is-not-a-place-and-it-s-not-a-time-heaven-is-being-perfect/) [Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/) > [Even in Heaven, the most perfect City in the World, there are going to be different levels, different classes, different stages, some very high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berg/even-in-heaven-the-most-perfect-city-in-the-world-there-are-going-to/) [David Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berg/) > [A single grateful thought toward heaven is the most perfect prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gotthold-ephraim-lessing/a-single-grateful-thought-toward-heaven-is-the-most-perfect-prayer/) [Gotthold Ephraim Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gotthold-ephraim-lessing/) > [“Heaven is not a place, and it is not a time. 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Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) ## More by Robert Browning > [I would have rummaged, ransacked at the word; Those old odd corners of an empty heart; For remnants of dim love the long disused,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/i-would-have-rummaged-ransacked-at-the-word-those-old-odd-corners-of/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [“One who never turned his back but marched breast forward, never doubted clouds would break, never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/one-who-never-turned-his-back-but-marched-breast-forward-never/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [All service ranks the same with God,- With God, whose puppets, best and worst, Are we: there is no last nor first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/all-service-ranks-the-same-with-god-with-god-whose-puppets-best-and/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [“Have you found your life distasteful? 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Our times are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/grow-old-along-with-me-the-best-is-yet-to-be-the-last-of-life-for/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over, lest you should think he never could recapture the first fine careless rapture!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/that-s-the-wise-thrush-he-sings-each-song-twice-over-lest-you-should/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [Look not down but up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/look-not-down-but-up/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [What a thing friendship is - World without end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/what-a-thing-friendship-is-world-without-end/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) > [Silence 'tis awe decrees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/silence-tis-awe-decrees/) [Robert Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) [Explore all 386 Robert Browning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/) ## More Broken quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. 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I felt it quivering, spitting out broken teeth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-fox/my-life-was-incoherent-to-me-i-felt-it-quivering-spitting-out-broken/) [Paula Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-fox/) > [Don't fix what's not broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-atkins/don-t-fix-what-s-not-broken/) [Robert Atkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-atkins/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [Rome, believe me, my friend, is like its own Monte Testaceo, Merelya marvellous mass of broken and castaway wine-pots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-hugh-clough/rome-believe-me-my-friend-is-like-its-own-monte-testaceo-merelya/) [Arthur Hugh Clough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-hugh-clough/) > [Its funny how someone breaks your heart but you still love them with all those broken pieces..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-someone-breaks-your-heart-but-you-still-love-them-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When we don't get what we want, there's a legitimate grieving, and then the spiritual journey truly begins, because not getting what we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-nepo/when-we-don-t-get-what-we-want-there-s-a-legitimate-grieving-and-then/) [Mark Nepo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-nepo/) Browse all 5,851 Broken quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert Browning" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heaven-a-perfect-round/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Broken" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heaven-a-perfect-round/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/robert-browning-734_broken_on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heav_1234417.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/robert-browning-734_broken_on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heav_1234417.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/robert-browning-734_broken_on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heav_1234417.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On the earth the broken arcs; in the heaven a perfect round.” — Robert Browning", "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": "Robert Browning", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-browning/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "On the earth the broken arcs;...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heaven-a-perfect-round/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-browning/on-the-earth-the-broken-arcs-in-the-heaven-a-perfect-round/#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 } } ] } ```