In this line of <em>Brave, New World</em>, John uses a quote from <em>The Tempest</em> by William Shakespeare to communicate with Lenina. John talks about how some forms of "baseness" (something that is low, or that lacks merit) are undergone nobly. This means that some actions, even of they are bad or difficult, must be accepted honourably. This points to the idea of sacrificing and enduring difficulties. What John wants Lenina to understand is that he has a desire to make sacrifices or offerings in order to win her love.
The Sorrows want the Lucera, the spiritual leader of the shadowshapers, to become one with them and "set them free." And shadowshapers are humans who can put spirits into the things that they create (art, stories, etc.) and make their creations come to life. But that's just about all we learn
Sidebars,glossary's and photographs and bolded words can help you out
First, it signals the end of Bill and Mary's attempt at conversation, startling Mary into the present.
If the lights symbolize truth or revelation, then their sudden brightness represents the irrefutable passage of time and the impossibility of ever recovering or re-doing the past. That the lights run "the whole length of Fifth Avenue" further emphasizes the completeness of this truth; there is no way to escape the passage of time.
It's worth noting that the lights turn on right after Bill says, "You ought to see my kids" and grins. It's a surprisingly unguarded moment, and it's the only expression of genuine warmth in the story. It's possible that his and Mary's children might represent those lights, being the brilliant chains that link the past with an ever-hopeful future.
