Yet ah! why should they know their fate?Since sorrow never comes too late,And happiness too swiftly flies.Thought would destroy their paradise.No more; where ignorance is bliss,'Tis folly to be wise.

Summary

This quote, from Thomas Gray's poem "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College," suggests that knowing one's fate and being aware of the sorrows and fleeting nature of happiness could shatter the blissful ignorance that brings contentment. It implies that ignorance can be a form of bliss because being aware of the harsh realities of life could undermine the state of paradise. Therefore, the quote concludes that it is foolish to seek wisdom when ignorance provides a sense of blissful ignorance.

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