Lord Byron, Don Juan (1818-24), Canto XII, Stanza 50.
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And these vicissitudes come best in youth; For when they happen at a riper age, People are apt to blame the Fates, forsooth, And wonder Providence is not more sage. Adversity is the first path to truth: He who hath proved war, storm or woman's rage, Whether his winters be eighteen or eighty, Has won the experience which is deem'd so weighty.
— Lord Byron on Adversity
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "And these vicissitudes come best in youth; For when they happen at a riper age, People are apt to blame the Fates, forsooth, And wonder Providence is not more sage. Adversity is the first path to truth: He who hath proved war, storm or woman's rage, Whether his winters be eighteen or eighty, Has won the experience which is deem'd so weighty." in the context of "Lord Byron, Don Juan (1818-24), Canto XII, Stanza 50." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Adversity" (Quotes)
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 Lord Byron
George Gordon (Noel) Byron, 6th Baron Byron (January 22 1788 – April 19 1824), generally known as Lord Byron, was an English poet and leading figure in Romanticism. He was the father of the mathematician Ada Lovelace.
About Lord Byron
George Gordon (Noel) Byron, 6th Baron Byron (January 22 1788 – April 19 1824), generally known as Lord Byron, was an English poet and leading figure in Romanticism. He was the father of the mathematician Ada Lovelace.
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