Greek philosophy seems to have met with something with which a good tragedy is not supposed to meet, namely, a dull ending.
Related quotes
A Prince from Western Libya
Aristomenis, son of Menelaos,
the Prince from Western Libya,
was generally liked in Alexandria
during the ten days he spent there.
As his name, his dress, modest, was also Greek.
He received honors gladly,
but he did not solicit them; he was unassuming.
He bought Greek books,
especially history and philosophy.
Above all he was a man of few words.
It got around that he must be a profound thinker,
and men like that naturally don't speak very much.
He was neither a profound thinker nor anything else—
just a piddling, laughable man.
He assumed a Greek name, dressed like the Greeks,
learned to behave more or less like a Greek;
and all the time he was terrified he would spoil
his reasonably good image
by coming out with barbaric howlers in Greek
and the Alexandrians, in their usual way,
would make fun of him, vile people that they are.
This was why he limited himself to a few words,
terribly careful of his syntax and pronunciation;
and he was driven almost out of his mind, having
so much talk bottled up inside him.
poem by Constantine P. Cavafy
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Wilfully blind
A never ending tragedy.
The history of the human race.
Why is it that we cannot be content?
to live in peace with grace
Why must men seek to dominate,
tell other people what to do
Why can’t they just negotiate
There is no need to resort to
violence. As we always have
which earns us nothing but a grave
A lesson in futility
which as a race we cannot see
A never ending tragedy.
Man is his own worst enemy.
poem by Ivor Or Ivor.e Hogg
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Greek-tragedy Funny
when all things are shed
like one takes off one’s clothes
and removes the make-up
or as one discards one’s body
as one kicks the bucket
in the good old-fashioned way
all this seriousness
is quite funny;
all this wisdom is
indecently foolish;
all this respectability
is unworthy;
all this meaning
is without content:
one’s importance is laughable
as when one laughs
in the midst of
too much stage-tragedy;
it’s greek-tragedy funny
poem by Raj Arumugam
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Open Book's Monologue Part 2: Perpetual
Perpetual
Eternal
Immutable
Irrevocable
Enduring
Etched in stone
Engraved with blood
The words of an open book remain
The book cannot write itself, but it is a series of stain after stain
Of ink and blood to paper writing a story that cannot be changed
Nor altered, nor made a happy, if tragedy destined to be
Tragedy it shall be, and tragedy for me
If love to be, it shall be, but this will not come
If death to be, it shall be, and shall always come, for all things under the sun
Will one day perish, wither, and die
One day decay will find this spine, and air make page fly
One day ink will fade
Destroying all that was so carefully made
But this is not the cruelty
The cruelty is that the story is immutable
The ending certain
The cruelty is a book is unalterable
The ending the book strives for- in vain
It is GIVEN an ending, with which it has no say
And to this end it SHALL come one day
poem by David Knox
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Poseidonians
The Poseidonians forgot the Greek language
after so many centuries of mingling
with Tyrrhenians, Latins, and other foreigners.
The only thing surviving from their ancestors
was a Greek festival, with beautiful rites,
with lyres and flutes, contests and wreaths.
And it was their habit toward the festival's end
to tell each other about their ancient customs
and once again to speak Greek names
that only few of them still recognized.
And so their festival always had a melancholy ending
because they remebered that they too were Greeks,
they too once upon a time were citizens of Magna Graecia;
and how low they'd fallen now, what they'd become,
living and speaking like barbarians,
cut off so disastrously from the Greek way of life.
poem by Constantine P. Cavafy
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
You're supposed to be my parents
You're supposed to love me
You're supposed to be there for me
You're not supposed to call me names
Or even hit me around
I shouldn't have to get two jobs
i shouldn't have pay for my own food
Why are you like this?
you were so sweet before
You're supposed to kiss me good night
You're supposed to hug me close
you don't do any of that
who are you?
i just don't know anymore
poem by Marissa Ford
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Never Ending
(words & music by kaye - springer)
Walk down to the beach at sunset
Look as far as you can see
You will find that endless ocean
And thats how my love will always be
I bring you never ending, never ending
Never ending, never ending
Never ending, never ending love
Look up at the sky at midnight
Gaze up on the starlit view
Just as heaven has no boundaries
Neither does my love for you
I bring you never ending, never ending
Never ending, never ending
Never ending, never ending love
Never ending love
Never ending love
Never ending love
Never ending love
song performed by by Elvis Presley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
What then is tragedy? In the Elizabethan period it was assumed that a play ending in death was a tragedy, but in recent years we have come to understand that to live on is sometimes far more tragic than death.
quote by George P. Baker
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The mark of a good marriage is partnership and continuing to feel inspired by your spouse. I had that with Tao. But the end is not necessarily the tragedy. Staying in a relationship that is no longer working is the tragedy. Living unhappily - that's the tragedy.
quote by Olivia Wilde
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Fundamental of Liar Chapter CXXXIV: From A to Z
Affecting heart is never ending zone
Becoming the best is never ending ambition
Collecting money is never ending business
Defining happiness is never ending comparison
Expecting future is never ending dream
Feeling lonely is never ending emptiness
Glittering light is never ending fantasy
Hiding the truth is never ending guilt
Imagining peace is never ending hope
Jealousy rage is never ending inferno
Keeping trust is never ending job
Living life is never ending knowledge
Memorizing something is never ending labyrinth
Not having the ability is never ending misery
Obtaining respect is never ending need
Pursuing love is never ending obsession
Questioning human is never ending paradox
Research and study is never ending quest
Smiling sincerely is never ending river
Telling lies is never ending story
Understanding fate is never ending temptation
Various culture is never ending uniqueness
Watching interest is never ending vision
X factor is never ending world
Years for price of wish is never ending xxxholic
Zipping a flat tummy is never ending yearning
poem by Maria Sudibyo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
India What Will You Teach This World?
India a continent old trade vast
India rich in philosophy religions
India steeped in ancient traditions
India a wealth of diverse cultures
India wisdom weeps crosses centuries
India you are supposed to be proud
India you are supposed to share
India your heritage with lost world
India you are supposed to share
Wisdom a covet west has forsaken
poem by Terence George Craddock
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
It was a Greek tragedy. Nixon was fulfilling his own nature. Once it started it could not end otherwise.
quote by Henry Kissinger
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
People try to make a Greek tragedy of my life, and they can't do it. I'm too happy.
quote by Curt Flood
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
One Dull Man
Why did you play your spade in there? (said she).
I can't think why you don't take care (said she).
You fuss and fiddle with every card
As tho' you found the game too hard
You hung on to your trumps until
They caught you napping. Really, Will,
You think and hesitate so long;
Then in the end you play it wrong.
Why, you can't even call your hand.
You men! I cannot understand.
You are so stupid, dull and dense.
The game requires just common-sense.
But Bridge for you holds little gain:
Yet you're supposed to have a brain (said she).
Tired? You? I hope I am no cat (said she)
But I must say I do like that (said she)
What about me? You go to town,
And gossip there with Smith and Brown.
And go to lunch and have a drink,
Yet in the evening you can't think.
What about me? Your life's the best.
Why should you crave for so much rest?
Ask any doctor. He will say
A business man should always play.
You should play more. You know you should.
A change of occupation's good.
Yet, when I ask you to go out,
You say you're tired and moon about.
What about me? Do I complain?
Why, it's a wonder I keep sane
With all the dull monotony
That this existence holds for me.
You'll tell me that I'm lazy soon.
Why, I played all the afternoon! (said she).
Did you, my dear? I didn't know (said he).
Well, I suppose I must be slow (said he).
Yes, slow and dull. Again you're right -
You always are . . .Heigh, ho! . . . Good night (said he).
poem by Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I am an Epicurean. I consider the genuine (not the imputed) doctrines of Epicurus as containing everything rational in moral philosophy which Greek and Roman leave to us.
quote by Thomas Jefferson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Casca: But those that understood him, smiled at one another and shook their heads; for mine own part, it was Greek to me.
line from The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene 2, script by William Shakespeare (1599)
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
Vote! | Copy! | In Romanian
Return
Now its years since your body went flat and even memories of that
are all think and dull, all gravel and glass. But who needs them
now -- displaced they're easily more safe --
the worst of it now: I can't remember your face.
Return.
For a while, with the vertigo cured, we were alive -- we were pure.
The void took the shape of all that you were, but years take their toll,
and things get bent into shape...
Antiseptic and tired, I can't remember your face.
Return.
You were supposed to grow old. Reckless, unfrightened, and old,
you were supposed to grow old.
Return. You were supposed to return.
song performed by by Ok Go
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Here I Go Impossible Again
How many dreams am I looking for in your eyes, in your eyes
Ooh baby bet it seems that you're reaching down, all alone, on your own
Dreams are emotion baby, you know you gotta try
How am I supposed to know what's in your head, what's on your mind
I'm searching for your love that's in your heart I need it
Here I go impossible again
Should I hold you close to keep the night from ending
I know I put you on a pedestal in my eyes, in my eyes
I don't like it when you put me down 'cause it hurts, yeah it hurts
Win some and lose some baby, you know you gotta try
I feel it my heart and in my soul and through my veins
Falling from my lips three little words 'I love you'
Here I go impossible again
Should I hold you close to keep the night from ending
Dive into the ocean baby you know you gotta try
How am I supposed to know what's in your head, what's on your mind
I'm searching for your love that's in your heart I need it
Here I go impossible again
Should I hold you close to keep the night from ending
Here I go impossible again
Should I hold you close to keep the night from ending
song performed by by Erasure
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy...neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.
quote by John W. Gardner
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The society which scorns excellence in plumbing as a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy: neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.
quote by John W. Gardner
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!