Social Commentaries
Fragment XLII: Join with the world; adopt with every man
Translated by John Hookham Frere (1842; Bohn 1856) · From Fragments of Theognis (Frere, 1842)
Join with the world; adopt with every man
His party views, his temper, and his plan ;
Strive to avoid offence, study to please,
Like the sagacious inmate of the seas,
That an accommodating colour brings,
Conforming to the rock to which he clings ;
With every change of place changing his hue;
The model for a statesman such as you.
Cite this poem
MLA
Megara, Theognis of. “Fragment XLII: Join with the world; adopt with every man.” Translated by John Hookham Frere. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/42/.
Chicago
Megara, Theognis of. “Fragment XLII: Join with the world; adopt with every man.” Translated by John Hookham Frere. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/42/.
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