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Welcome to another exciting installment from The Dictionary of Clichés: A Word Lover’s Guide to Overused Phrases and Almost-Pleasing Platitudes! Today, we’re going to take a walk on the ever-revolving wheel of events and dive into the world of predictable returns and recurring themes. Grab your mental compass as we traverse through “The Cycle is Completed.”
The Cycle is Completed: Origins and Meaning
Known for illustrating events running a predetermined course and culminating as they began, this phrase has Journey-like origins in literature. First coined—or at least made famous—by Shakespeare in “King Lear” (“The wheel is come full circle,” 5.3), it serves to highlight life’s inherent cyclical nature. The whimsical, Shakespearean turn of phrase continues to spin around the wheel of modern language.
Synonyms:
- Full circle
- Come around again
- The wheel turns
Antonyms:
- One-off
- Unique event
- Unprecedented occurrence
Similar Expressions:
- What goes around, comes around.
- History repeats itself.
- Same old, same old.
Humorous Quote: “Wheels on the bus go round and round, just like life’s endless rounds.”
Proverb: “Every end is a new beginning.”
Literary Reference:
- “King Lear” by William Shakespeare: This titular monarch speaks the iconic line, indicating that vengeance upon his house has been exacted, fulfilling the cyclical prophecy.
Books:
- “The Wheel of Time” by Robert Jordan: A fantasy series heavily centered on the theme of cyclical time and recurring events.
Movies:
- “The Lion King” – embraces the concept of ‘The Circle of Life,’ where the ending is just the beginning of another life cycle.
Songs:
- “The Circle of Life” by Elton John: A quintessential celebration of life’s cyclical nature.
Poetry:
- “Ouroboros” poems, frequently celebrating the snake eating its own tail, the personification of life’s endless loop.
✦Quizzes✦
As you wrap your head around the timelessness of cycles and their poetic beauty, remember that not all endings are merely stops but rather preludes to infinite new beginnings.
Farewell until our next linguistic escapade, dear reader. May you find ever-renewing joy in every completed cycle of your own life’s journey.
— Evelyn Eloquent
