Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
Thus let me live, unseen, unknown, Thus unlamented let me die, Steal from the world, and not a stone Tell where I lie.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a desire for anonymity in life and death, seeking to avoid the burdens of recognition and lamentation.
In this quote, Alexander Pope reflects on the notion of living and dying in obscurity, desiring to leave no mark or memory behind that could evoke sorrow or remembrance. It suggests a philosophical stance towards existence, where the individual values privacy and the absence of burden to others, highlighting a desire for simplicity in both life and death.
Themes
AnonymityLifeDeathObscurityPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a eulogy, one might reference this quote to express the deceased's wishes for a simple life.
More from Alexander Pope
All quotes →What dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
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Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
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An honest man's the noblest work of God.
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One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
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Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
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