The Consolation of Philosophy · Chapter
Song VI: All Things Have Their Needful Order explained
This song uses agricultural metaphors to illustrate the importance of following the natural order and timing ordained by God.
What happens
This song uses agricultural metaphors to illustrate the importance of following the natural order and timing ordained by God. It warns against acting prematurely or against the seasons, emphasizing that each thing has its appointed time and that deviating from this divine plan leads to misfortune.
Themes in this chapter
Providence and Fate
The song emphasizes that God has appointed times for all things, and that following this divine order is essential for a fortunate outcome.
Characters to notice
- Boethius
The implied listener being instructed through the song's metaphors.
- Philosophy
The speaker who delivers the song's wisdom about divine order.
Key passages
“He who to th’ unwilling furrows Gives the generous grain, When the Crab with baleful fervours Scorches all the plain; He shall find his garner bare, Acorns for his scanty fare.”
If you plant crops during the scorching summer heat, you will harvest nothing but acorns.
Illustrates the consequence of ignoring the proper season for sowing.
“For to each thing God hath given Its appointed time; No perplexing change permits He In His plan sublime.”
God has assigned a specific time for everything and does not allow confusion in His perfect plan.
Affirms the divine ordering of all events.
“So who quits the order due Shall a luckless issue rue.”
Anyone who abandons the proper order will regret the unfortunate outcome.
Summarizes the moral of the song: deviation from divine order leads to misfortune.