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Poetry · Chapter
CCXIV explained
A brief reflection on the spherical nature of the world and the landowner's smugness regarding the sea.
What happens
A brief reflection on the spherical nature of the world and the landowner's smugness regarding the sea.
Key passages
“The world was made a sphere in order that men should not push one another off, but the landowner smiles when he thinks of the sea.”
The earth was shaped as a sphere so that people wouldn't fall off its edges, yet the landowner is pleased because the sea prevents others from encroaching on his property.
This passage contrasts the intended unity of a spherical world with the landowner's selfish relief that the ocean acts as a natural barrier.