What does Alexander Pope's Quote "How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!..."?
How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd; What does each line mean?
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- it means that How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot.Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd
- It means that those who are forgiving, are the happiest. Instead of dwelling on whatever wrongs have been done to them, they forgive whoever caused it and move on.
- A vestal is a virgin (see Vestal virgins--dedicated to the Roman goddess Vesta). This sounds like it's poking a bit of fun at those people who revere virginity, particularly life-long virginity dedicated to a deity. "How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!" Virgins dedicated to a deity are happy in their sin-free state. "The world forgetting, by the world forgot." These dedicated virgins live a life apart from the majority of humanity. "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!" Never experiencing lust, motherhood, worldly cares, and earthly concerns, their minds remain as pure as the sunshine. "Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd." Because they have remained pure and dedicated their lives to their deity, they are sure that their communion with the deity is two-way.
- The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. George Bernard Shaw. Therefore it is a play on the phrase - ignorance is bliss!!
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