--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why dost thou heap up wealth, which thou…" description: "\"Why dost thou heap up wealth, which thou must quit, Or what is worse, be left by it? Why dost thou load thyself when thou 'rt to fly, Oh, man! ordain'd..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/abraham-cowley-7641_alas_why-dost-thou-heap-up-wealth-which-thou_1071716.png" --- # Why dost thou heap up wealth, which thou must quit, Or… ![“Why dost thou heap up wealth, which thou must quit, Or what is worse, be left by it? Why dost thou load thyself when thou 'rt to fly, Oh, man! ordain'd to die? Why dost thou build up stately rooms on high, Thou who art under ground to lie? Thou sow'st and plantest, but no fruit must see, For…” quote by Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/abraham-cowley-7641_alas_why-dost-thou-heap-up-wealth-which-thou_1071716.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/abraham-cowley-7641_alas_why-dost-thou-heap-up-wealth-which-thou_1071716.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6df/abraham-cowley-7641_alas_why-dost-thou-heap-up-wealth-which-thou_1071716.png) > “Why dost thou heap up wealth, which thou must quit, Or what is worse, be left by it? Why dost thou load thyself when thou 'rt to fly, Oh, man! ordain'd to die? Why dost thou build up stately rooms on high, Thou who art under ground to lie? Thou sow'st and plantest, but no fruit must see, For death, alas! is reaping thee.” [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealth is temporary; we cannot take it beyond death, so hoarding it is futile. **In simple terms:** Wealth cannot be taken after death. Key Takeaway Focus on lasting values, not material accumulation. Themes mortality wealth vanity Mood reflective somber Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - financial planning - legacy building - spiritual reflection Key Concepts ephemerality human condition Questions to Reflect On - What truly endures beyond life? - How can one balance material needs with spiritual awareness? A Different Perspective Wealth may provide comfort but cannot prevent mortality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alas/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Dies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies/) [Dost Thou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dost-thou-413132/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Load](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/load/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Quitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quitting/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Thee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thee/) [Thou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou/) [Thou Load](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-load-2673698/) [Thou Sow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thou-sow-2673697/) [Thyself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thyself/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [Wealth Thou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth-thou-2673696/) ## Related quotes > [Alas, O Lord, to what a state dost Thou bring those who love Thee!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/alas-o-lord-to-what-a-state-dost-thou-bring-those-who-love-thee/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [As there is no worldly gain without some loss, so there is no worldly loss without some gain; if thou hast lost thy wealth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/as-there-is-no-worldly-gain-without-some-loss-so-there-is-no-worldly-2/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [“yea dost thou fall upon thy face? thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-leong/yea-dost-thou-fall-upon-thy-face-thou-wilt-fall-backward-when-thou/) [Sonia Leong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-leong/) > [“Thou wanton: dost thou dare call me noodle?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-shaw/thou-wanton-dost-thou-dare-call-me-noodle/) [Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-shaw/) > [Only through Beauty's morning-gate, dost thou penetrate the land of knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/only-through-beauty-s-morning-gate-dost-thou-penetrate-the-land-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [O accursed hunger of gold, to what dost thou not compel human hearts!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virgil/o-accursed-hunger-of-gold-to-what-dost-thou-not-compel-human-hearts/) [Virgil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virgil/) > [Know thy birth! 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/why-dost-thou-shrink-from-my-approach-o-man-why-dost-thou-ever-flee/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [Adorn thyself with simplicity and with indifference towards the things which lie between virtue and vice. Love mankind. Follow God. The poet says that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/adorn-thyself-with-simplicity-and-with-indifference-towards-the/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Be substantially great in thyself, and more than thou appearest unto others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/be-substantially-great-in-thyself-and-more-than-thou-appearest-unto/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [Have therefore zeal to better thyself and then mayst thou have zeal to thy neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-kempis/have-therefore-zeal-to-better-thyself-and-then-mayst-thou-have-zeal/) [Thomas a Kempis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-kempis/) > [By all means use some time to be alone, salute thyself, see what thy soul doth wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/by-all-means-use-some-time-to-be-alone-salute-thyself-see-what-thy/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) ## More by Abraham Cowley > [All the world's bravery that delights our eyes is but thy several liveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/all-the-world-s-bravery-that-delights-our-eyes-is-but-thy-several/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [The liberty of a people consists in being governed by laws which they have made themselves, under whatsoever form it be of government; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/the-liberty-of-a-people-consists-in-being-governed-by-laws-which-they/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [The monster London laugh at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/the-monster-london-laugh-at-me/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [His time's forever, everywhere his place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/his-time-s-forever-everywhere-his-place/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [I confess I love littleness almost in all things. A little convenient estate, a little cheerful house, a little company, and a little feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/i-confess-i-love-littleness-almost-in-all-things-a-little-convenient/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [The Sunflow'r, thinking 'twas for him foul shame To nap by daylight, strove t' excuse the blame; It was not sleep that made him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/the-sunflow-r-thinking-twas-for-him-foul-shame-to-nap-by-daylight/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Nothing is to come, and nothing past: But an eternal now, does always last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/nothing-is-to-come-and-nothing-past-but-an-eternal-now-does-always/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [We may talk what we please," he cries in his enthusiasm for the oldest of the arts, "of lilies, and lions rampant, and spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/we-may-talk-what-we-please-he-cries-in-his-enthusiasm-for-the-oldest/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Solitude can be used well by very few people. They who do must have a knowledge of the world to see the foolishness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/solitude-can-be-used-well-by-very-few-people-they-who-do-must-have-a/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Stones of small worth may lie unseen by day, But night itself does the rich gem betray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/stones-of-small-worth-may-lie-unseen-by-day-but-night-itself-does-the/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Gold begets in brethren hate; Gold in families debate; Gold does friendship separate; Gold does civil wars create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/gold-begets-in-brethren-hate-gold-in-families-debate-gold-does/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Poets by Death are conquer'd but the wit Of poets triumphs over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/poets-by-death-are-conquer-d-but-the-wit-of-poets-triumphs-over-it/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [s a scene of changes, and to be constant in Nature were inconstancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/s-a-scene-of-changes-and-to-be-constant-in-nature-were-inconstancy/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [May I a small house and large garden have; And a few friends, And many books, both true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/may-i-a-small-house-and-large-garden-have-and-a-few-friends-and-many/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Sleep is a god too proud to wait in palaces, and yet so humble too as not to scorn the meanest country cottages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/sleep-is-a-god-too-proud-to-wait-in-palaces-and-yet-so-humble-too-as/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) [Explore all 88 Abraham Cowley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) ## More Alas quotes > [“Muchos de los ángeles de Dios no tienen alas...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-n-harris/muchos-de-los-ngeles-de-dios-no-tienen-alas/) [José N. 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Alas, like Ugolino, time devours its own children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hector-berlioz/time-time-that-is-our-greatest-master-alas-like-ugolino-time-devours/) [Hector Berlioz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hector-berlioz/) > [Removing prejudices is, alas! too often removing the boundary of a delightful near prospect in order to let in a shockingly extensive one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-fulke-greville/removing-prejudices-is-alas-too-often-removing-the-boundary-of-a/) [Sir Fulke Greville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-fulke-greville/) > [Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-pharcellus-church/yes-virginia-there-is-a-santa-claus-he-exists-as-certainly-as-love/) [Francis Pharcellus Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-pharcellus-church/) > [Alas, Postumus, the fleeting years slip by, nor will piety give any stay to wrinkles and pressing old age and untamable death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/alas-postumus-the-fleeting-years-slip-by-nor-will-piety-give-any-stay/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Sensible Catholics have for generations been ignoring the views on contraception held by reactionary old men in the Vatican, but alas, since it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-c-grayling/sensible-catholics-have-for-generations-been-ignoring-the-views-on/) [A.C. 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