Literary notes about ruin (AI summary)
The word ruin functions as a potent symbol across literary fields, encapsulating both physical decay and the internal collapse of character or society. In epic and historical narratives ([1], [2], [3], [4], [5]), authors use ruin to depict the downfall of great empires and the tragic fate of heroes, emphasizing the unstoppable force of time and fate. In dramatic and satirical prose, ruin also emerges as a metaphor for personal devastation and the disintegration of reputations ([6], [7], [8], [9]), while in philosophical and moral treatises it underscores the consequences of injustice and hubris ([10], [11], [12]). Whether representing literal physical destruction or symbolizing the erosion of ideals and identity, ruin remains a versatile and evocative motif throughout the literary canon ([13], [14], [15]).
- Think not I fear the sudden blow That threatens now to lay me low: I mourn the ruin that I see Impending o'er thy host and thee.
— from The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse by Valmiki - Before the ruin of Paganism in Rome, the competition for a wealthy bishopric had often been productive of tumult and bloodshed.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Civil Wars And The Ruin Of The Greek Empire.—Part I. Part II.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - But the ruin of the churches was easily effected by the authority of the government, and by the labor of the Pagans.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - But Nero involved the whole empire in his ruin.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Mrs. Cheveley made an attempt to ruin your husband.
— from An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde - Ah, it's she has brought ruin on every one.
— from The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Will you ruin her, because she has not wit to help herself?
— from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - You are determined to ruin him in the opinion of all his friends, and make him the contempt of the world."
— from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Justice, he reflects, without the appearance of justice, is misery and ruin; injustice has the promise of a glorious life.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato - To divide it was to ruin it, and to expose every part of it to be oppressed and swallowed up by the incursions of its neighbours.
— from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith - Of these it has been impossible to gather an account, as the women refused to describe them, lest ruin should fall on their families.
— from Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 7 of 7 by Edgar Thurston - It was doubtful if any sacrifice could save him from ruin.
— from The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner - For Ilion now (her great defender slain) Shall sink a smoking ruin on the plain.
— from The Iliad by Homer - But the vast ruin will still stand for ages, to shame the puny labors of these modern generations of men.
— from The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
