Alexander Pope in Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot (1735) wrote the rhetorical question, “Who breaks the butterfly on the wheel?” In other words, who would use such force on a delicate creature like a butterfly? Pope’s image of breaking a butterfly on the wheel struck a powerful chord, hence the expression.
"Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?" is a quotation from Alexander Pope's "Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot" of January 1735.
It alludes to "breaking on the wheel", a form of torture in which victims had their long bones broken by an iron bar while tied to a Catherine wheel.[1] The quotation is used to suggest someone is "[employing] superabundant effort in the accomplishment of a small matter".
The quotation is sometimes misquoted with "on" in place of "upon".
стрелять из пушки по воробьям
Who breaks the butterfly on the wheel?
© Copyright: Юрий Слободенюк, 2025
Свидетельство о публикации №125082101655
Свидетельство о публикации №125082101655
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