Jonathan Swift, "Ode to Sir William Temple" (June 1689)
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See how she rears her head, And rolls about her dreadful eyes, To drive all virtue out, or look it dead! 'Twas sure this basilisk sent Temple thence ...
— Jonathan Swift on Basilisk
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "See how she rears her head, And rolls about her dreadful eyes, To drive all virtue out, or look it dead! 'Twas sure this basilisk sent Temple thence ..." in the context of "Jonathan Swift, "Ode to Sir William Temple" (June 1689)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Basilisk" (Quotes)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer and satirist. Acclaimed as one of the finest prose satirists in the English language, he was also well known for his poetry and essays.
About Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish writer and satirist. Acclaimed as one of the finest prose satirists in the English language, he was also well known for his poetry and essays.
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