Don Marquis, Unrest; in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 397-98.
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A fierce unrest seethes at the core Of all existing things: It was the eager wish to soar That gave the gods their wings. * * * * * There throbs through all the worlds that are This heart-beat hot and strong, And shaken systems, star by star, Awake and glow in song.

— Don Marquis on Instinct

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "A fierce unrest seethes at the core Of all existing things: It was the eager wish to soar That gave the gods their wings. * * * * * There throbs through all the worlds that are This heart-beat hot and strong, And shaken systems, star by star, Awake and glow in song." in the context of "Don Marquis, Unrest; in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 397-98." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "Instinct" (Quotes: Quotes are arranged alphabetically by author, M - R) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Don Marquis

About Don Marquis

Donald Robert Perry Marquis (29 July 1878 – 29 December 1937) was an American humorist, journalist, novelist, poet, cartoonist, newspaper columnist, and playwright most famous for creating the characters "Archy" the cockroach, and "Mehitabel" the cat.