There are such beings as vampires, some of us have evidence that they exist. Even had we not the proof of our own unhappy experience, the teachings and the records of the past give proof enough for sane peoples.
Bram StokerRead
I stood beside Van Helsing, and said;- "Ah, well, poor girl, there is peace for her at last. It is the end!" He turned to me, and said with grave solemnity:- "Not so; alas! not so. It is only the beginning!
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the tragic end of a life while hinting at the continuity of existence beyond death.
This quote from Bram Stoker signifies a moment of sorrow where the speaker recognizes the death of a girl, which may seem to be the end of her suffering. However, Van Helsing's response suggests that death is not an end but rather a transformation or a beginning of something new, prompting contemplation on the nature of life, death, and what lies beyond.
Themes
DeathBeginningEndLifeTransformation
In practice
Example use cases
During a memorial service, this quote could be used to reflect on a life well-lived.
More from Bram Stoker
All quotes →Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!
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Do you believe in destiny? That even the powers of time can be altered for a single purpose? That the luckiest man who walks on this earth is the one who finds… true love?
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But a stranger in a strange land, he is no one. Men know him not, and to know not is to care not for.
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Oh, the terrible struggle that I have had against sleep so often of late; the pain of the sleeplessness, or the pain of the fear of sleep, and with such unknown horror as it has for me! How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly, and brings nothing but sweet dreams.
Bram StokerRead
It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway?
Bram StokerRead
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