John Dryden, Imitation of Horace, 29th Ode
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Sometimes 'tis grateful to the rich to try A short vicissitude, and fit of poverty: A savoury dish, a homely treat, Where all is plain, where all is neat, Without the stately spacious room, The Persian carpet, or the Tyrian loom, Clear up the cloudy foreheads of the great.

— John Dryden on Vacation

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Sometimes 'tis grateful to the rich to try A short vicissitude, and fit of poverty: A savoury dish, a homely treat, Where all is plain, where all is neat, Without the stately spacious room, The Persian carpet, or the Tyrian loom, Clear up the cloudy foreheads of the great." in the context of "John Dryden, Imitation of Horace, 29th Ode" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Vacation" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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.