Book I, Note I, p. 18
β
Silence is the winding-sheet of the past: it is sometimes impious, often dangerous to raise it. But even when it is raised piously and lovingly, the first moment is a cruel one.
— Alphonse de Lamartine
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Silence is the winding-sheet of the past: it is sometimes impious, often dangerous to raise it. But even when it is raised piously and lovingly, the first moment is a cruel one." in the context of "Book I, Note I, p. 18" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Alphonse de Lamartine" (Quotes, Les confidences (1849): Les confidences (Confidential Disclosures), translated by Eugène Plunkett, New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1857.)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Alphonse de Lamartine
Alphonse Marie Louise Prat de Lamartine (Alphonse-Marie-Louis de Prat de Lamartine) (October 21, 1790 β February 28, 1869) was a French writer, poet, and politician.
About Alphonse de Lamartine
Alphonse Marie Louise Prat de Lamartine (Alphonse-Marie-Louis de Prat de Lamartine) (October 21, 1790 β February 28, 1869) was a French writer, poet, and politician.
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