Poetry · Chapter
XLVI explained
A brief two-line verse advising that if inclination challenges you, you should stand and fight, but from opportunity the wise take flight.
What happens
A brief two-line verse advising that if inclination challenges you, you should stand and fight, but from opportunity the wise take flight.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker’s obsessive pursuit of the divine rose fragrance…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingKey passages
“If Inclination challenge, stand and fight— From Opportunity the wise take flight.”
When your own desires tempt you, resist them; but when a favorable chance appears, the prudent person lets it pass.
The couplet contrasts internal temptation (inclination) with external chance (opportunity), advising resistance to the former and avoidance of the latter.
