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From our birthday, until we die, Is but the winking of an eye.
William Butler Yeats
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Life is fleeting and can pass by quickly, much like a brief moment.

This quote by William Butler Yeats emphasizes the brevity of life, suggesting that from the day we are born until we die, our existence is as fleeting as the blink of an eye. It serves as a poignant reminder to appreciate the moments we have, as they can pass by faster than we realize, urging us to live fully and cherish our time.

Themes

LifeBrevityTimeAppreciationExistence

In practice

Example use cases

In a motivational speech about making the most of our time.

More from William Butler Yeats

If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
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It was my first meeting with a philosophy that confirmed my vague speculations and seemed at once logical and boundless.
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But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
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How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
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Love is created and preserved by intellectual analysis, for we love only that which is unique, and it belongs to contemplation, not to action, for we would not change that which we love.
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