Agony Quote by Roger Zelazny
“Tonight I will suck the marrow from your bones!” it said. “I will dry them and work them most cunningly into instruments of music! Whenever I play upon them, your spirit will writhe in bodiless agony!” “You burn prettily,” I said.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, 1967
A macabre speaker threatens to turn bodies into musical instruments, expressing power through cruelty and art.
In simple terms: Violent threat to create music from bones.
Key Takeaway
Beware of using art to harm.
Themes
power
art
violence
control
creativity
Mood
ominous
intense
grotesque
Type
literary
dramatic
When to use this quote
- fictional dialogue
- horror scene
- character confrontation
Key Concepts
dark fantasy
psychological intimidation
Questions to Reflect On
- What does turning pain into art say about the creator?
- Can cruelty be justified for artistic expression?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may be exaggerated, limiting literal interpretation.
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
