"The mind of man, when disturbed, is a chaos, 'without form and void.' His ideas take no shape, or the formation he tries at swiftly dies."

— Yearsley, Ann (bap. 1753, d. 1806)


Place of Publication
London
Publisher
G. G. and J. Robinson
Date
1795
Metaphor
"The mind of man, when disturbed, is a chaos, 'without form and void.' His ideas take no shape, or the formation he tries at swiftly dies."
Metaphor in Context
[...] The carriage soon left the high roads; the hoofs of the horses were not to be heard, and I concluded they were for many miles running over turf. The mind of man, when disturbed, is a chaos, 'without form and void.' His ideas take no shape, or the formation he tries at swiftly dies. Millions of chimeras floated on my imagination all were rejected in speedy succession ere they became old enough to take the colour of reason; yet fancy will be busy till we are no more.
(I, pp. 137-8)
Provenance
Searching in Google Books
Citation
Ann Yearsley, The Royal Captives: a Fragment of Secret History. Copied from an Old Manuscript by Ann Yearsley. (London: G. G. and J. Robinson, 1795). <Link to volume 1 in Google Books><Link to ECCO>
Date of Entry
01/09/2012

The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.