In pleasant peace and security How suddenly the soul in a man begins to die He shall look up above the stalled oxen Envying the cruel falcon, And dig under the straw for a stone To bruise himself on.

Robinson Jeffers
About This Quote

This quote expresses the depth of emotion that can result from a single moment of despair. It begins with the acknowledgement of the pain that comes from losing one’s inner peace, and then moves on to describe the pain that results from that loss. The poem then describes the desire to destroy oneself, before reaching a crescendo with the hopeful realization that “death can be defeated” through faith in God.

Source: Selected Poems

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