To lead a soft, secure, inglorious life:
A country cottage near a crystal flood,
A winding valley, and a lofty wood." - Meaning and context.">
QuotesCosmos
Georgic II, ll. 688–691
“

My next desire is, void of care and strife,
To lead a soft, secure, inglorious life:
A country cottage near a crystal flood,
A winding valley, and a lofty wood.

— John Dryden

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "My next desire is, void of care and strife,
To lead a soft, secure, inglorious life:
A country cottage near a crystal flood,
A winding valley, and a lofty wood." in the context of "Georgic II, ll. 688–691" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "John Dryden" (Quotes, The Works of Virgil (1697)) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

Tags

#John Dryden#inglorious#strifeto#country#cottage#crystal#winding#desire#secure#flooda#valley#lifea
John Dryden

About John Dryden

John Dryden (19 August O.S. 9 August 1631 – 12 May O.S. 1 May 1700) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate.