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The life so short, the crafts so long to learn.
Geoffrey Chaucer
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Life is brief, while mastering skills takes a long time.

This quote emphasizes the contrast between the fleeting nature of life and the extensive time required to acquire meaningful skills and knowledge. It serves as a reminder to value our time, focusing on what truly matters, as our lifespans are limited while our pursuits can be lifelong endeavors.

Themes

LifeWisdomLearningTimeSkills

In practice

Example use cases

In a graduation speech to inspire students to continue learning.

More from Geoffrey Chaucer

For tyme ylost may nought recovered be.
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For in their hearts doth Nature stir them so Then people long on pilgrimage to go And palmers to be seeking foreign strands To distant shrines renowned in sundry lands.
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If gold rusts, what then can iron do?
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Thus with hir fader for a certeyn space_x000D_ _x000D_ Dwelleth this flour of wyfly pacience,_x000D_ _x000D_ That neither by hir wordes ne hir face_x000D_ _x000D_ Biforn the folk, ne eek in her absence,_x000D_ _x000D_ Ne shewed she that hir was doon offence.
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Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be, That may bothe werke wel and hastily.
Geoffrey ChaucerRead
For oute of olde feldys, as men sey,_x000D_ _x000D_ Comyth al this newe corn from yer to yere;_x000D_ _x000D_ And out of olde bokis, in good fey,_x000D_ _x000D_ Comyth al this newe science that men lere.
Geoffrey ChaucerRead

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