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

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.
William Butler YeatsRead
It was my first meeting with a philosophy that confirmed my vague speculations and seemed at once logical and boundless.
William Butler YeatsRead
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
William Butler YeatsRead
How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
William Butler YeatsRead
For he would be thinking of love Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon.
William Butler YeatsRead
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.
William Butler YeatsRead

Similar quotes

People look with sympathetic eyes only at the blossom and the fruit, and disregard the long period of transition during which the one is ripening into the other.
Berthold AuerbachRead
we drove on and on, past little villages and both good things and bad things were happening to the people in those villages too, but I still was nothing but arms and ears and eyes and maybe there'd be either some good luck for me or more death tomorrow.
Charles BukowskiRead
And life goes on, which seems kind of strange and cruel when you're watching someone die. But there's a joy and an abundance of everything, like information and laughter and summer weather and so many stories.
Melina MarchettaRead
Most of the people who came for dancing lessons had Rumba ambitions and minuet bodies
Bob HopeRead
It's easy to discount water's importance in the kitchen. After all, it has no flavor, and more often than not, it's left off ingredient lists, making it seem like an afterthought. Yet water is an essential element of almost everything we cook and eat, and it affects the flavor and texture of all our food.
Samin NosratRead
Life, like poker has an element of risk. It shouldn't be avoided. It should be faced.
Edward NortonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.