Literally meaning "where are (they)," ubi sunt is an iterrogatory phrase primarily used as the opening verse to some medieval Latin works to convey a theme or mood of lament for the mutability of things in general. It conveys the feelings of sorrow when one thinks about how there are no longer any great heroes (but there once were), how there are no more great mead halls (but there once were), that there are no more great writers (where are T.S. Eliot and E. E. Cummings?), and how it is all generally going to shit (and will continue ad infinitum).

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