Monday, February 9, 2009

Lord Byron: Sonnet on Chillon & Two Quotes

Eternal Spirit of the chainless Mind!
Brightest in dungeons, Liberty! thou art,
For there thy habitation is the heart-
The heart which love of thee alone can bind;
And when thy sons to fetters are consigned-
To fetters, and the damp vaults dayless gloom,
Their country conquer with their martyrdom,
And Freedom's fame finds wings on every wind.

Chillon! thy prison is a holy place,
And thy sad floor an altar-for 'twas trod
Until his very steps have left a trace
Worn, as if thy cold pavement were a sod,
By Bonnivard! May none those marks efface!
For they appeal from tyranny to God.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gordon_Byron,_6th_Baron_Byron


Only a few prefer liberty-the majority seeks nothing more than fair masters. Sallust, Histories

Human nature is universally imbued with a desire for liberty, and a hatred for servitude. Caesar, Gallic Wars

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Caesar has it right I think. It naturally goes against the grain.

Devin said...

I hope for the sake of humanity-(esp here in the states) you are right Aggie-I think Americans will soon have to ask if we want to keep our 'easy' slavery of bread and circuses or if we want to restore our republic-So far it seems to me anyway only three tiny groups in the States are looking at these questions-the libertarian right/the far left (which I confess to be) and conspiracy folks (which I also confess to be:-) I do so hope more people will 'wake up'-Always wonderful to see you here Aggie-I thought your Sun-Day post was very thoughtful (I think they all are-but I really think people who are able should look into your suggestion!) best to you as always!

Unknown said...

Only a few prefer liberty-the majority seeks nothing more than fair masters. Sallust, Histories

This is the process George bush tried to impose on us saying it would make us safer from terror.

Alex Robinson said...

Hi Devin
Wonderfully presented as always & great quotes.

Had a synch with word veri which was 'gracree' - I was given a very late Xmas present last night, I left it in the car & so opened it at some traffic lights on my way to work this morning - it was a small plaque with a Japanese symbol with translation underneath - 'Gracious'

Best to you as always

Devin said...

Exactly Ricardo! I am just hoping that Americans are not willing (as with other people around the world)to give up more freedoms in the name of security-even if the threat was as bad or as REAL as they say it is-I think we should listen to what the majority of the founders thought in regards to giving up freedom-best to you as always-your new post was hilarious!!

Devin said...

thanks so very much wise-very happy-you could stop by as always-I am sorry if I sound incoherent-another all nighter last night (insomnia again)best as always! Very nice about the gracee synch-o almost forgot did you read afferris post yet?

Nina said...

very interesting quotes devin. i believe it goes against the essence of who we are to be anything but free. and on the flip side, i believe that due to the tens of thousands of years of human experience and conditioning (likely which is stored in our DNA) of the rule-makers who have told us we NEED them in order to BE free (and need them to tell us what to do/think/say), some part of our brain seeks to be told what to do, especially when faced with threatening (real or not) situations.

it is the inner explorers, the philosophers, the questioners, the seekers who awaken to the reality of the on-going restriction of humanity's freedom.

Anadæ Quenyan Effro said...

Okay, what else is Lord Byron, née Percy Bysshe Shelley, well known for, Devin? Why, a poem about the irony inherent in so-call'd "lost civilisations", written December 1817, seen here:

Ozymandias

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them in the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear,
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Pretty nifty, ay? I'm more taken with the visuals than the cadence. BTW, the band, Qntal, do two versions of this poem as a very moody electronica piece, on their CD, "Qntal IV: Ozymandias" (2005)

Go to their web site here: http://qntal.de
Enjoy, Devin. I do hope that you've been able to claim the angel of sleep that has so eluded you of late.

Recharging my batteries,
Anadæ Effro ( :-)}

Devin said...

Nina and Anadae thanks both of you for your comments! I usually do not like to answer comments in twos and threes-but something tells me i better do a double here so I have connection! I couldn't agree with your more Nina and Anadae-thanks so very much for Ozymandias! I hope this words find both of you doing wonderful and thanks so much again for stopping by-I did have a small bit -one or two posts to do for this blog today-but I am going to wait and see how connection does-all the best to both of you!!