Three Quatrains III
We cannot crown ourselves with everything, Nor can we coax the Fates for us to quarrel: No matter what we are, or what we sing, Time finds a withered leaf in every laurel.
Edwin Arlington Robinson
We cannot crown ourselves with everything, Nor can we coax the Fates for us to quarrel: No matter what we are, or what we sing, Time finds a withered leaf in every laurel.
The speaker is reflecting on the limits of human control. We cannot give ourselves every honor or achievement, and we cannot coax fate into fighting on our behalf.
Read the full summary