Famous quote by Alfred de Vigny

"The acts of the human race on the world's stage have doubtless a coherent unity, but the meaning of the vast tragedy enacted will be visible only to the eye of God, until the end, which will reveal it perhaps to the last man"

About this Quote

Alfred de Vigny's quote assesses the nature of human history and its intrinsic intricacy, recommending that the course of human events is intertwined with a meaningful unity that is mostly inscrutable to human understanding. The "world's phase" metaphor suggests that human history is a grand performance, with each person and collective act contributing to a larger story. This story is described as a "tragedy", a term which suggests that human history is filled with suffering, conflict, and ethical complexity.

The idea that the meaning of this "large tragedy" shows up "just to the eye of God" underscores a sense of humility concerning human understanding. It recommends that there is a divine or transcendent understanding of the coherence and function of human history which human beings themselves can not fully grasp. This shows a common theme in Romantic literature, where the limitations of human understanding are acknowledged, and the divine or sublime is appreciated as a world beyond complete human understanding.

The recommendation to "completion" as a point of revelation suggests an eschatological perspective, one common in philosophical and theological reflections. Using the word "maybe" presents a component of uncertainty about whether the supreme function of human history will ever be totally understood, even at its conclusion. This conveys a sense of existential uncertainty, an acknowledgment that the look for meaning may be an enduring aspect of the human condition, and supreme clarity or knowledge may remain evasive up until perhaps the "last guy", or completion of human presence.

In essence, Vigny's quote welcomes contemplation of the profound and often abstruse complexity of human life. It encourages reflection on the constraints of our understanding and the possibility of a much deeper, concealed meaning that may only be exposed in the supreme conclusion of the human story.

About the Author

France Flag This quote is written / told by Alfred de Vigny between March 27, 1797 and September 17, 1863. He/she was a famous Poet from France. The author also have 20 other quotes.
Go to author profile

Similar Quotes