# CCXXXVIII explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

The chapter reflects on the dual perception of Paradise: in youth it is mistaken for life itself, and in age it is recognized as the lost youth.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Regret

The chapter contrasts youthful idealism with the regret of aging, viewing Paradise as a lost youth.

## Key lines

> Twice we see Paradise. In youth we name it Life; in age, Youth.

We perceive Paradise twice: once in youth when we call it life, and again in old age when we recognize it as the youth we have lost.

_The aphorism encapsulates the chapter's meditation on the illusion of life and the retrospective longing for youth._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/ccxxxviii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters