America Quote by Robinson Jeffers
““While this America settles in the mould of its vulgarity, heavily thickening to empire, I And protest, only a bubble in the molten mass, pops and sighs out, and the mass hardens, I sadly smiling remember that the flower fades to make fruit, the fruit rots to make earth. Qut of the mother; and through the spring exultances, ripeness and decadence; and home to the mother. You making haste haste on decay: not blameworthy; life is good, be it stubbornly long or suddenly A mortal splendor: meteors are not needed less than mountains: shine, perishing republic. But for my children. I would have them keep their dis- tance from the thickening center; corruption. Never has been compulsory, when the cities lie at the monster’s feet there are left the mountajns. And boys, be in nothing so moderate as in love of man, a clever servant, insufferable master. There is the trap that catches noblest spirits, that caught -–they say--God, when he walked on earth.””
About This Quote
The poet warns that society’s growing decadence and imperial ambition will crush individual integrity, urging distance from corrupt power and a humble, natural cycle of life and death.
In simple terms: Critique of societal decay and imperialism.
Avoid corrupt centers; embrace natural cycles.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- living under an expanding empire
- witnessing moral decline
- seeking personal integrity amidst corruption
- contemplating mortality
Key Concepts
Practical Applications
- philosophical reflection on societal trends
- literary analysis of poetic themes
Questions to Reflect On
- How does one balance personal integrity with societal pressures?
- What role does nature play in shaping human values?
Some may argue that engagement with power can enable reform rather than inevitable corruption.