What is the source of the quote, "All young men are platoons?"
May 17, 2013 9:03 AM Subscribe
What is the source of the quote, "All young men are platoons?"
I read the sentence "All men are platoons," quoted in a book once, I believe by Joseph Campbell, or maybe it was Robert Bly, or someone like that. The quote itself was by someone else. Walt Whitman or Emerson. Does anyone recognize it? I googled until my fingers bled. I even tried Bing!
I read the sentence "All men are platoons," quoted in a book once, I believe by Joseph Campbell, or maybe it was Robert Bly, or someone like that. The quote itself was by someone else. Walt Whitman or Emerson. Does anyone recognize it? I googled until my fingers bled. I even tried Bing!
Ralph Waldo Emerson : "Every brisk young man who says in succession fine things to each reluctant generation ... is some reader of Plato."
http://www.emersoncentral.com/plato1.htm
Could you have read a rewording of the quote along the lines of "all young men are platonists"?
posted by Soilcreep at 9:23 AM on May 17, 2013
http://www.emersoncentral.com/plato1.htm
Could you have read a rewording of the quote along the lines of "all young men are platonists"?
posted by Soilcreep at 9:23 AM on May 17, 2013
Response by poster: Update: I'm 100% certain that "platoons" is the correct word. He's making the point that there are a lot of different things going on in your head when you're young.
posted by vraxoin at 9:41 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by vraxoin at 9:41 AM on May 17, 2013
I want it to be Walt Whitman, but I can't track anything down. (Understood the intent of the quote right away though.)
posted by acm at 9:46 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by acm at 9:46 AM on May 17, 2013
Not sure if this is potentially helpful or just a diversion, but Whitman (or whoever) was probably alluding (to some extent) to Mark 5:9: "And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many."
posted by pont at 10:14 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by pont at 10:14 AM on May 17, 2013
Any chance the word was actually "poltroon"? Easy enough to mistake while reading, especially since "platoon" is a much more familiar word.
I feel like maybe I've seen the quote "young men are poltroons" somewhere, though I can't for the life of me actually remember where.
posted by duien at 11:09 AM on May 17, 2013
I feel like maybe I've seen the quote "young men are poltroons" somewhere, though I can't for the life of me actually remember where.
posted by duien at 11:09 AM on May 17, 2013
Tried using the Google AROUND(#) operator without success. Variations on ["men" AROUND(6) "platoons"] and didn't find anything...
posted by Wretch729 at 11:19 AM on May 17, 2013
posted by Wretch729 at 11:19 AM on May 17, 2013
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Are you sure you have the right word?
posted by ottereroticist at 9:13 AM on May 17, 2013