“What then remains but well our pow'r to use, And keep good-humour still whate'er we lose?”
- Source
- The Rape of the Lock
- Date
- 1714
- Attribution
- Source identified
- Voice / speaker
- Fictional character · Clarissa
What does this quote mean?
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.
Where does it come from?
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.
Who voices the line?
Fictional character · Clarissa. 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. v4.93 stores the local voice separately from the bibliographic work author.
The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.
How should this attribution be read?
This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.