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Poetry · Chapter
CCIX explained
A brief aphorism about the wisdom of silence and the perceptiveness of the wise, who can hear the unspoken command in a fool's noise.
What happens
A brief aphorism about the wisdom of silence and the perceptiveness of the wise, who can hear the unspoken command in a fool's noise.
Key passages
“A fool's tongue is not so noisy but the wise can hear his ear commanding them to silence.”
Even a fool's loud speech contains an implicit plea for quiet, which the wise recognize.
The chapter reflects on the contrast between foolish noise and wise perception.