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“What then remains but well our pow'r to use, And keep good-humour still whate'er we lose?”
Voice: Fictional character · Clarissa
Within Clarissa’s speech, the practical response to inevitable loss is to use one’s capacities well and preserve composure rather than trying to make change impossible.
Source note: The Rape of the Lock, Canto V; Clarissa speaks before the poem immediately returns to comic battle, a contrast that keeps the moral counsel inside the satire.
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“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.”
Voice: Fictional character · Friar Laurence
Speed without judgment can undermine the very goal a person is pursuing, so patience becomes part of effective action.
Source note: Act 2, Scene 3; Friar Laurence urges Romeo to move with greater care.
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“He that can have patience can have what he will.”
The proverb presents patience as a practical advantage in goals that require time rather than immediate reward.
Source note: Poor Richard’s Almanack.
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“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.”
The proverb uses the ant as an example of self-directed preparation, turning observation of repeated practical behavior into a lesson about disciplined habits.
Source note: Proverbs 6:6 in the King James Version; the following verses describe the ant preparing food without an overseer.
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“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”
The sequence emphasizes alertness, steadiness, and strength, presenting courage as sustained conduct rather than one dramatic moment.
Source note: 1 Corinthians 16:13 in the King James Version.
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“Happiness implies resource and security; it can be achieved only by discipline.”
Stable happiness is linked with cultivated capacity and order rather than with impulse, luck, or momentary pleasure alone.
Source note: The Life of Reason; Santayana connects happiness with disciplined resources and a secure basis for living.