He saw a picture in his mind of a terrible piling up of the dead. It came from his contemplation of the church, but it had its own clarity: the row on row, the deep rotting earth hollowed out to hold them, while the efforts of the living, with all their works and wars and great buildings, were no more than the beat of a wing against the weight of time.
The quote reflects a profound observation about mortality and the passage of time, illustrating the contrast between life and the ultimate fate of all living beings. The imagery of the stacked bodies beneath the earth evokes a stark realization of death's inevitability. This contemplation surfaces as the protagonist considers the church, a symbol of human endeavors and spirituality, yet the overwhelming sense of loss and decay stands in stark contrast to these aspirations.
Furthermore, the mention of "the efforts of the living" suggests a critical view of human achievements, emphasizing their transience. Despite our grand structures and conflicts, they are likened to a fleeting moment in the face of enduring death. The metaphor of a wing's beat signifies how minor our actions can seem against the vast, unyielding landscape of time, prompting a reflective examination of the meaning and purpose behind our lives amidst the certainty of mortality.
