“ this world is only a probation, and man was born to trouble as the sparks fly upward. ”
Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat (1889). copy citation
| Author | Jerome K. Jerome |
|---|---|
| Source | Three Men in a Boat |
| Topic | life trouble |
| Date | 1889 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/308/308-h/308-h.htm |
Context
“Then, after tea, the wind veers round, and you have to pull hard in its teeth all the way home.
When you forget to take the sail at all, then the wind is consistently in your favour both ways. But there! this world is only a probation, and man was born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.
This evening, however, they had evidently made a mistake, and had put the wind round at our back instead of in our face. We kept very quiet about it, and got the sail up quickly before they found it out, and then we spread ourselves about the boat in thoughtful attitudes, and the sail bellied out, and strained, and grumbled at the mast, and the boat flew.” source
When you forget to take the sail at all, then the wind is consistently in your favour both ways. But there! this world is only a probation, and man was born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.
This evening, however, they had evidently made a mistake, and had put the wind round at our back instead of in our face. We kept very quiet about it, and got the sail up quickly before they found it out, and then we spread ourselves about the boat in thoughtful attitudes, and the sail bellied out, and strained, and grumbled at the mast, and the boat flew.” source
Meaning and analysis
