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Poetry · Chapter
CCLV explained
A single aphoristic sentence reflecting on the progression of human expectation from childhood through old age.
What happens
A single aphoristic sentence reflecting on the progression of human expectation from childhood through old age.
Key passages
“In childhood we expect, in youth demand, in manhood hope, and in age beseech.”
As we age, our approach to desires shifts from expectation to demand, then to hope, and finally to pleading.
Summarizes the chapter's reflection on the changing nature of human desire across life stages.