"All that you may achieve or discover you will regard as a fragment of a larger pattern of the truth which from the separate approaches every true scholar is striving to descry"

The quote by Abbott L. Lowell speaks to the pursuit of knowledge and understanding as an ongoing, collective undertaking. It suggests a deeply philosophical view of scholarship and discovery, where every individual accomplishment or discovery is viewed as just a little part of a much bigger tapestry of fact.

Lowell utilizes the metaphor of a "piece of a bigger pattern" to suggest that while any single piece of understanding or discovery is important, it is not total in itself. It contributes to a more comprehensive understanding, similar to a single puzzle piece contributes to the total picture. This view highlights the humbleness needed in scholarship; no single person or discovery holds the totality of fact. Instead, it emphasizes the limitations of specific understanding and the significance of a collaborative effort in academic community and intellectual pursuits.

The phrase "which from the separate methods every real scholar is striving to descry" further highlights the idea that scholars, despite their diverse courses and disciplines, share a common goal: to catch a glimpse or understanding of the underlying facts of the world. "Descry" is an interesting choice of word here, with connotations of searching or spotting something unknown or far-off. This recommends that truth is not quickly comprehended and needs thorough, cumulative effort to bring its complete complexity into view.

Furthermore, the use of "real scholar" implies a nobility of function and a commitment to the relentless mission for knowledge, transcending individual biases or the context of specific work. Real scholars acknowledge their function as part of a larger, intergenerational effort to build on the knowledge that came in the past, contributing to what will follow. Lowell's quote therefore serves as a motivating tip of the shared, progressive nature of intellectual discovery, and a call to see beyond the confines of individual accomplishment to the grand, complex style of universal understanding.