How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
Apart from a few friends and many routines, the problematic pursuit of literature constituted the whole of his life; like every writer, he measured other men's virtues by what they had accomplished, yet asked that other men measure him by what he planned someday to do. (4)
Mo' lit, mo' problems? Shmoop doesn't think so. But in this story, Jaromir's pursuit of literature certainly does seem to cause him a lot of trouble: not only does it get him arrested, it causes him a ton of mental anxiety.
Quote #2
All the books he had sent to the press left him with complex regret. (4)
Whoa, there. Why so hard on yourself, Jaromir? Since it sounds like Jaromir's actually had a pretty successful career as a published author, we think he's probably being overly critical of himself. Why do you think this is?
Quote #3
Into his articles on the work of Boehme, Ibn Ezra, and Fludd, he had poured mere diligence, application; into his translation of the Sefer Yetsirah, oversight, weariness, and conjecture. (4)
We may not have any clue what on earth any of these things are (a quick Google search helps us out though), but we all know what it's like to try to write. Sometimes we're diligent, other times… not so much. Jaromir isn't looking to repeat either of these writing experiences. He wants to write something inspired.