--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is death. I don't want it to tarry…" description: "\"“This is death. I don't want it to tarry awhile so I can write a monograph. I want it to go away for seventy or eighty years.”\" — Don DeLillo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/don-delillo-294_death_this-is-death-i-don-t-want-it-to-tarry-a_2224178.jpg" --- # This is death. I don't want it to tarry awhile so I can… ![“This is death. I don't want it to tarry awhile so I can write a monograph. I want it to go away for seventy or eighty years.” quote by Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/don-delillo-294_death_this-is-death-i-don-t-want-it-to-tarry-a_2224178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/don-delillo-294_death_this-is-death-i-don-t-want-it-to-tarry-a_2224178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaa/don-delillo-294_death_this-is-death-i-don-t-want-it-to-tarry-a_2224178.jpg) > ““This is death. I don't want it to tarry awhile so I can write a monograph. I want it to go away for seventy or eighty years.”” [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker wishes death to be delayed so he can finish his scholarly work, reflecting a desire to postpone mortality for intellectual pursuits. **In simple terms:** He wants to postpone death to finish writing. Key Takeaway Prioritize living over endless work. Themes mortality intellectual ambition urgency Mood reflective somber Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - academic deadlines - creative projects - life planning - health decisions Key Concepts existentialism time perception Questions to Reflect On - What would you sacrifice to finish a project? - How does fear of death affect your work? 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