Book VI, Note V, p. 86
β
The doctrine of the cynics is the Ideal reversed, the parody of physical and moral beauty, the crime of mind, the degradation of imagination. I could not take pleasure in it. There was too much enthusiasm within me to permit me to crawl through those sinks of the brain. My nature had wings. The dangers to which I was exposed were above, not below.
— Alphonse de Lamartine
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "The doctrine of the cynics is the Ideal reversed, the parody of physical and moral beauty, the crime of mind, the degradation of imagination. I could not take pleasure in it. There was too much enthusiasm within me to permit me to crawl through those sinks of the brain. My nature had wings. The dangers to which I was exposed were above, not below." in the context of "Book VI, Note V, p. 86" 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
Tags
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.
View all quotes →