Samuel Johnson, The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets; with Critical Observations on their Works. Volume II (1781), pp. 164-165
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In the comparison of Homer and Virgil, the discriminative excellence of Homer is elevation and comprehension of thought, and that of Virgil is grace and splendor of diction. The beauties of Homer are therefore difficult to be lost, and those of Virgil difficult to be retained.
— Samuel Johnson
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "In the comparison of Homer and Virgil, the discriminative excellence of Homer is elevation and comprehension of thought, and that of Virgil is grace and splendor of diction. The beauties of Homer are therefore difficult to be lost, and those of Virgil difficult to be retained." in the context of "Samuel Johnson, The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets; with Critical Observations on their Works. Volume II (1781), pp. 164-165" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Homer" (Quotes about Homer)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Homer
Homer (Ancient Greek: Ὅμηρος) is best known as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He was believed by the ancient Greeks to have been the first and greatest of the epic poets. Author of the first known literature of Europe, he is central to the Western canon.
About Homer
Homer (Ancient Greek: Ὅμηρος) is best known as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He was believed by the ancient Greeks to have been the first and greatest of the epic poets. Author of the first known literature of Europe, he is central to the Western canon.
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