---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And how stands the city on this winter…"
description: "\"And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/ronald-reagan-119_beacons_and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-n_3087523.jpg"
---

#  And how stands the city on this winter night? More…

![“And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon…” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/ronald-reagan-119_beacons_and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-n_3087523.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/ronald-reagan-119_beacons_and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-n_3087523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/ronald-reagan-119_beacons_and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-n_3087523.jpg)

> “And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.”

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The city endures through time, remaining prosperous, secure, and hopeful, serving as a beacon for freedom seekers despite storms.

**In simple terms:** The city stays strong and hopeful, guiding people home.

Key Takeaway

Recognize resilience as a source of hope.

Themes

resilience freedom community hope endurance

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

historical political

When to use this quote

- urban development
- migration
- refugee settlement
- cultural heritage
- disaster recovery

Key Concepts

civic pride collective identity symbolic beacon

Questions to Reflect On

- How does resilience shape community identity?
- What challenges threaten this beacon?

A Different Perspective

It may overlook underlying social inequalities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Beacons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beacons/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Magnet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magnet/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Patriotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotic/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilgrim/) [Prosperous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prosperous/) [Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter/) [Winter night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winter-night/)

## Related quotes

> [It is only as a man puts off from himself all external support, and stands alone, that I see him to be strong and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/it-is-only-as-a-man-puts-off-from-himself-all-external-support-and/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [“A tree stands strong not by its fruits or branches, but by the depth of its roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/a-tree-stands-strong-not-by-its-fruits-or-branches-but-by-the-depth/)

[Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/)

> [We have to realize that this country in its private sector has been fighting the most successful war on poverty the world has seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/we-have-to-realize-that-this-country-in-its-private-sector-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [After over 200 years, not even a fifth of Congress is women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/after-over-200-years-not-even-a-fifth-of-congress-is-women/)

[Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/)

> [There is no plan today to fully give up on coal. Experts point out that our supplies run for another 200 years, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrzej-duda/there-is-no-plan-today-to-fully-give-up-on-coal-experts-point-out/)

[Andrzej Duda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrzej-duda/)

> [Over the course of more than 200 years, it has found a right to equal education regardless of race. It has guaranteed an attorney…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-kohl/over-the-course-of-more-than-200-years-it-has-found-a-right-to-equal/)

[Herb Kohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-kohl/)

> [Electoral College; Making nobody's vote count for 200 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/electoral-college-making-nobody-s-vote-count-for-200-years/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“In the case of the Great Transition, the lead-up to and fallout from the tipping point of the mid-fourteenth century extended over almost 200…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-m-s-campbell/in-the-case-of-the-great-transition-the-lead-up-to-and-fallout-from/)

Bruce M. S. Campbell

> [The Romans spent the next 200 years using their great engineering skill to construct ruins all over Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-romans-spent-the-next-200-years-using-their-great-engineering/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The arts speak across epochs. If you think that people started to build a cathedral in 1315 and the people worked on that cathedral,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wynton-marsalis/the-arts-speak-across-epochs-if-you-think-that-people-started-to/)

[Wynton Marsalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wynton-marsalis/)

> [“Congratulations. In 200 years you've done as much damage to your forests as we have in 8000 to ours." (Turkish Minister of Forests to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/turkisk-minister-of-forests/congratulations-in-200-years-you-ve-done-as-much-damage-to-your/)

Turkisk Minister of Forests

> [I mean, honestly, we have to be clear that the life for many Afghan women is not that much different than it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-mean-honestly-we-have-to-be-clear-that-the-life-for-many-afghan/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [ That statement \[ Stephen Ambrose:'You, Sam, have the hardest job, which is, pretend like nothing has happened in the last 200 years.'\] woke me… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-abell/that-statement-stephen-ambrose-you-sam-have-the-hardest-job-which-is/)

[Sam Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-abell/)

> [What's taken God 200 years to create was wiped out in a couple of days by what was apparently an arsonist, And it just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-janklow/what-s-taken-god-200-years-to-create-was-wiped-out-in-a-couple-of/)

[Bill Janklow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-janklow/)

> [All authors secretly hope that their works will be read in 100 years' time and 200 years, and that they will somehow survive into the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sjon/all-authors-secretly-hope-that-their-works-will-be-read-in-100-years/)

[Sjon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sjon/)

## More by Ronald Reagan

> [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

[Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

## More Beacons quotes

> [Laughter is one of the great beacons in life because we don't refract it by gunning it through our intellectual prism. What makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/laughter-is-one-of-the-great-beacons-in-life-because-we-don-t-refract/)

[Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/)

> [The family remains the basic unit of society and the first school in which children learn the human, spiritual and moral values which enable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-family-remains-the-basic-unit-of-society-and-the-first-school-in/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [The wound of peace is surety, Surety secure; but modest doubt is called The beacon of the wise, the tent that searches To th'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-wound-of-peace-is-surety-surety-secure-but-modest-doubt-is-called/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [South Africa, so utterly improbably, is a beacon of hope in a dark and troubled world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/south-africa-so-utterly-improbably-is-a-beacon-of-hope-in-a-dark-and/)

[Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/)

> [There's more attention paid to entertainers than ever and less that they have to say. Not that entertainers were ever a great beacon of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/there-s-more-attention-paid-to-entertainers-than-ever-and-less-that/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [I headed towards the mountain, which was an almost irresistible beacon to my storm self. It glowed with heat, pressure, and turbulence—everything a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-headed-towards-the-mountain-which-was-an-almost-irresistible-beacon/)

[Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/)

> [A great philosopher in the wrong is like a beacon on the reefs which says to seamen: steer clear of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-maritain/a-great-philosopher-in-the-wrong-is-like-a-beacon-on-the-reefs-which/)

[Jacques Maritain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-maritain/)

> [Today, the United States stands as a beacon of liberty and democratic strength before the community of nations. We are resolved to stand firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-united-states-stands-as-a-beacon-of-liberty-and-democratic/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [When Franklin drew the lightning from the clouds, he little dreamed that in the evolution of science his discovery would illuminate the torch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/when-franklin-drew-the-lightning-from-the-clouds-he-little-dreamed/)

[Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/)

> [Once freedom lights its beacon in man's heart, the gods are powerless against him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/once-freedom-lights-its-beacon-in-man-s-heart-the-gods-are-powerless/)

[Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/)

> [Maybe." I shrug. "But what I meant was, can't you use the makeup to cover it?" Miles rolls his eyes and scowls. "Oh, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-noel/maybe-i-shrug-but-what-i-meant-was-can-t-you-use-the-makeup-to-cover/)

[Alyson Noel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-noel/)

> [“I live in the space between chaos and shape. I walk the line that continually threatens to lose its tautness under me, dropping me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-live-in-the-space-between-chaos-and-shape-i-walk-the-line-that/)

[Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/)

> [England was full of words I'd never heard before - streaky bacon, short back and sides, Belisha beacon, serviettes, high tea, ice-cream cornet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/england-was-full-of-words-i-d-never-heard-before-streaky-bacon-short/)

[Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/)

> [To-morrow is that lamp upon the marsh, which a traveller never reacheth; To-morrow, the rainbow's cup, coveted prize of ignorance; To-morrow, the shifting anchorage,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-farquhar-tupper/to-morrow-is-that-lamp-upon-the-marsh-which-a-traveller-never/)

[Martin Farquhar Tupper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-farquhar-tupper/)

> [And thou hast stolen a jewel, Death! Shall light thy dark up like a Star. A Beacon kindling from afar Our light of love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-massey/and-thou-hast-stolen-a-jewel-death-shall-light-thy-dark-up-like-a/)

[Gerald Massey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-massey/)

[Browse all 154 Beacons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beacons/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than that: After 200 years, two centuries, she still stands strong and true on the granite ridge, and her glow has held steady no matter what storm. And she's still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom, for all the pilgrims from all the lost places who are hurtling through the darkness, toward home.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ronald Reagan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-night-more-prosperous-more/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Beacons"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-night-more-prosperous-more/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/ronald-reagan-119_beacons_and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-n_3087523.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/ronald-reagan-119_beacons_and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-n_3087523.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/ronald-reagan-119_beacons_and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-n_3087523.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years…” — Ronald Reagan",
                "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": "Ronald Reagan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "And how stands the city on...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-night-more-prosperous-more/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-night-more-prosperous-more/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
