Poetry · Chapter
XV explained
A brief aphoristic chapter comparing the ostrich's instinct to hide its head when pursued with a man's instinct to conceal his property, suggesting an innate understanding of an enemy's intentions.
What happens
A brief aphoristic chapter comparing the ostrich's instinct to hide its head when pursued with a man's instinct to conceal his property, suggesting an innate understanding of an enemy's intentions.
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
“When an ostrich is pursued he conceals his head in a bush; when a man is pursued he conceals his property. By instinct each knows his enemy’s design.”
Both the ostrich and man, when threatened, hide what is most vulnerable to them—the ostrich its head, a man his possessions—because each instinctively understands the predator's goal.
This chapter draws a parallel between animal and human behavior, highlighting a shared instinctual response to threat.
