--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Time eateth all things, could old poets…" description: "\"Time eateth all things, could old poets say, The times are chang'd, our times drink all away.\" — Benjamin Franklin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-s_2510828.png" --- # Time eateth all things, could old poets say, The times are… ![“Time eateth all things, could old poets say, The times are chang'd, our times drink all away.” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-s_2510828.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-s_2510828.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-s_2510828.png) > “Time eateth all things, could old poets say, The times are chang'd, our times drink all away.” [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All things eventually decay; time erodes everything, as poets have long observed **In simple terms:** Everything decays over time Key Takeaway Accept impermanence and act wisely Themes impermanence time change Mood reflective philosophical Type historical cautionary When to use this quote - historical reflection - personal loss - societal change Key Concepts mortality philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What will you preserve against time? - How can you use time’s passage productively? A Different Perspective Time can also bring growth and renewal ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [All things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-things/) [Chang Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chang-times-1154948/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drink/) [Old Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-poets-856910/) [Our time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-time/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Time Eateth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-eateth-1154947/) [Times Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-chang-1154949/) [Times Drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-drink-1154950/) ## Related quotes > [There are only two times when I drink beer, when I'm alone and when I'm with someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-milne-3/there-are-only-two-times-when-i-drink-beer-when-i-m-alone-and-when-i/) [A A Milne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-milne-3/) > [I received the same kind of question many times. Do I drink? Of course I do. I do what all others do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ji-chang-wook/i-received-the-same-kind-of-question-many-times-do-i-drink-of-course/) [Ji Chang-wook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ji-chang-wook/) > [“The Old Poets Of China Wherever I am, the world comes after me. It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/the-old-poets-of-china-wherever-i-am-the-world-comes-after-me-it/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [The old poets little knew what comfort they could be to a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-orne-jewett/the-old-poets-little-knew-what-comfort-they-could-be-to-a-man/) [Sarah Orne Jewett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-orne-jewett/) > [When the old poets made some virtue their theme, they were not teaching but adoring,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alister-e-mcgrath/when-the-old-poets-made-some-virtue-their-theme-they-were-not/) [Alister E. McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alister-e-mcgrath/) > [Most poetry is very formal, but when a modern poet is formal he gets more attention for it than old poets did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/most-poetry-is-very-formal-but-when-a-modern-poet-is-formal-he-gets/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [Sunlight 's a thing that needs a window Before it enter a dark room. Windows don't happen." So two old poets, Hunched at their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-s-thomas/sunlight-s-a-thing-that-needs-a-window-before-it-enter-a-dark-room/) [R. S. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-s-thomas/) > [Like all twenty-one-year-old poets, I thought I would be dead by thirty, and Sylvia Plath had not set a helpful example. For a while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/like-all-twenty-one-year-old-poets-i-thought-i-would-be-dead-by/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Another one of the old poets, whose name has escaped my memory at present, called Truth the daughter of Time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aulus-gellius/another-one-of-the-old-poets-whose-name-has-escaped-my-memory-at/) [Aulus Gellius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aulus-gellius/) > [Young poets bewail the passing of love; old poets, the passing of time. There is surprisingly little difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/young-poets-bewail-the-passing-of-love-old-poets-the-passing-of-time/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) ## More by Benjamin Franklin > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/give-me-26-lead-soldiers-and-i-will-conquer-the-world/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [In the affairs of this world, men are saved not by faith, but by the want of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/in-the-affairs-of-this-world-men-are-saved-not-by-faith-but-by-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [By heaven we understand a state of happiness infinite in degree, and endless in duration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-heaven-we-understand-a-state-of-happiness-infinite-in-degree-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I have thought that wild flowers might be the alphabet of angels, — whereby they write on hills and fields mysterious truths, which it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/i-have-thought-that-wild-flowers-might-be-the-alphabet-of-angels/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-do-you-become-better-tomorrow-by-improving-yourself-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Little leaks sink the ship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/little-leaks-sink-the-ship/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/who-is-rich-he-that-is-content-who-is-that-nobody/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“But on the whole, though I never arrived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell far short of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/but-on-the-whole-though-i-never-arrived-at-the-perfection-i-had-been/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The good particular men may do separately, in relieving the sick, is small, compared with what they may do collectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-good-particular-men-may-do-separately-in-relieving-the-sick-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Love your Neighbour; yet don't pull down your Hedge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/love-your-neighbour-yet-don-t-pull-down-your-hedge/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Take counsel in wine, but resolve afterwards in water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/take-counsel-in-wine-but-resolve-afterwards-in-water/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [He that's secure is not safe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-that-s-secure-is-not-safe/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Explore all 1,692 Benjamin Franklin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) ## More All things quotes > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [A tree is a self: it is 'unseen shaping' more than it is leaves or bark, roots or cellulose or fruit ... What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [Dear God, I trust that no matter what happens in my life, it is for my highest good. And no matter what happens in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/dear-god-i-trust-that-no-matter-what-happens-in-my-life-it-is-for-my/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [Moderation, honey, in all things but love and chocolate. That's my motto.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bretton/moderation-honey-in-all-things-but-love-and-chocolate-that-s-my-motto/) [Barbara Bretton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bretton/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) [James Nayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nayler/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Standing as a witness in all things means being kind in all things, being the first to say hello, being the first to smile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-d-nadauld/standing-as-a-witness-in-all-things-means-being-kind-in-all-things/) [Margaret D. Nadauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-d-nadauld/) > [The eternal principle, which never was born, never will die: it is in all things: it is in you now. You are the wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-eternal-principle-which-never-was-born-never-will-die-it-is-in/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [The U.S. Army has recently removed the cross from the insignia worn by chaplains. In its place is a sun with its rays, symbolizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murray/the-u-s-army-has-recently-removed-the-cross-from-the-insignia-worn-by/) [Chris Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murray/) > [...God does not possess a private knowledge of Himself and a separate knowledge of all the creatures in common. The universal Cause, by knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-dionysius/god-does-not-possess-a-private-knowledge-of-himself-and-a-separate/) [Pope Dionysius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-dionysius/) [Browse all 2,486 All things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/all-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Time eateth all things, could old poets say, The times are chang'd, our times drink all away.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Franklin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-say-the-times-are-chang-d-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "All things" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-say-the-times-are-chang-d-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-s_2510828.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-s_2510828.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6e/benjamin-franklin-65_all-things_time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-s_2510828.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Time eateth all things, could old poets say, The times are chang'd, our times drink all away.” — Benjamin Franklin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Benjamin Franklin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Time eateth all things, could old...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-say-the-times-are-chang-d-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/time-eateth-all-things-could-old-poets-say-the-times-are-chang-d-our/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```