Men are but children of a larger growth, Our appetites as apt to change as theirs, And full as craving too, and full as vain.
John DrydenRead
Of no distemper, of no blast he died, _x000D_ But fell like autumn fruit that mellow'd long: _x000D_ Even wonder'd at, because he dropp'd no sooner. _x000D_ Fate seem'd to wind him up for fourscore years; _x000D_ Yet freshly ran he on ten winters more; _x000D_ Till like a clock worn out with eating time, _x000D_ The wheels of weary life at last stood still.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the natural progression of life and death, likening life to a clock winding down until it eventually comes to a stop.
John Dryden's quote poignantly depicts the inevitability of death and the passage of time, comparing a person's life to a clock that operates seamlessly for many years before finally ceasing to function. The imagery of falling like 'autumn fruit' suggests that death can occur naturally and at the right time, while the mention of 'fate' and 'worn out' signifies the unavoidable weariness that comes with living through many seasons of life.
Themes
LifeDeathTimeFateAging
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about aging, one might quote this to emphasize the peaceful acceptance of death.
More from John Dryden
All quotes →Or hast thou known the world so long in vain?
John DrydenRead
Shame on the body for breaking down while the spirit perseveres.
John DrydenRead
Love reckons hours for months, and days for years; and every little absence is an age.
John DrydenRead
And write whatever Time shall bring to pass_x000D_ _x000D_ With pens of adamant on plates of brass.
John DrydenRead
…So when the last and dreadful hour This crumbling pageant shall devour, The trumpet shall be heard on high, The dead shall live, the living die, And Music shall untune the sky
John DrydenRead
Similar quotes
Real sadness is such an all-encompassing intense thing that it takes you out of your humdrum existence. If you can still function, you want to show it while it's peaking. So when people tell you to cheer up, it's not always the best thing.
David ByrneRead
When I was in high school, I remember seeing girls crying in the bathroom every Monday about what they did that weekend. I never wanted to be that girl crying in the bathroom.
Taylor SwiftRead
I shall always remember that smile. From what world did it come from?
Elie WieselRead
If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.
Emile ZolaRead
Adulthood isn't an award they'll give you for being a good child. You can waste years, trying to get someone to give that respect to you, as though it were a sort of promotion or raise in pay. If only you do enough, if only you are good enough. No. You have to just take it. Give it to yourself, I suppose. Say, I'm sorry you feel like that and walk away. But that's hard
Lois Mcmaster BujoldRead
Human life is not some sort of race or game in which each person should start from an identical mark. It is an attempt by each man to be as happy as possible. And each person could not begin from the same point, for the world has not just come into being; it is diverse and infinitely varied in its parts. The mere fact that one individual is necessarily born in a different place from someone else immediately insures that his inherited opportunity cannot be the same as his neighbor's.
Murray RothbardRead