Ancestry
Ancestry - meaning Summary
Inherited Courage Against Odds
The poem observes a tiny man confronting vast, angry mountains and the speaker’s surprise. An onlooker assures him the little man will prevail because his grandfathers repeatedly defeated the mountains. The poem explores how lineage and collective memory confer confidence and perceived virtue on an individual facing overwhelming odds, suggesting belief in ancestral achievement can shape present courage more than immediate size or strength.
Read Complete AnalysesOnce I saw mountains angry, And ranged in battle-front. Against them stood a little man; Ay, he was no bigger than my finger. I laughed, and spoke to one near me, “Will he prevail?” “Surely,” replied this other; “His grandfathers beat them many times.” Then did I see much virtue in grandfathers,— At least, for the little man Who stood against the mountains.
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