Thou art a man God is no more Thy own humanity Learn to adore
William BlakeRead
For I dance And drink and sing, Till some blind hand Shall brush my wing. If thought is life And strength and breath And the want Of thought is death Then am I A happy fly If I live Or if I die
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the joy found in living in the moment, despite uncertainty.
In this quote, William Blake expresses a carefree attitude towards life, portraying the dance, sing, and drink as joyful acts of living. The imagery of a 'happy fly' emphasizes embracing the present, suggesting that as long as one engages fully with life, whether facing death or enjoying the moment, true happiness can be found amid the inevitability of mortality.
Themes
LifeHappinessLivingPresentMortality
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a toast at a celebration to emphasize the joy of living.
More from William Blake
All quotes →In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
William BlakeRead
O thou who passest through our valleys in Thy strength, curb thy fierce steeds, allay the heat That flames from their large nostrils! Thou, O Summer, Oft pitchest here thy golden tent, and oft Beneath our oaks hast slept, while we beheld With joy thy ruddy limbs and flourishing hair.
William BlakeRead
Every Night and every Morn Some to Misery are born. Every Morn and every Night Some are born to Sweet Delight, Some are born to Endless Night.
William BlakeRead
As the caterpillar chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lays his curse on the fairest joys.
William BlakeRead
He who would do good to another must do it in minute particulars.
William BlakeRead
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