Bars Quote by Edward Young
“This is the bud of being, the dim dawn, The twilight of our day, the vestibule; Life's theatre as yet is shut, and death, Strong death, alone can heave the massy bar, This gross impediment of clay remove, And make us embryos of existence free.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: Night Thoughts, Edward Young, 1742
Life is a brief prelude before death, which alone can free us from the constraints of our physical bodies.
In simple terms: Life is fleeting; death releases us from worldly limits.
Key Takeaway
Accept mortality as a path to true freedom.
Themes
mortality
freedom
transience
philosophy
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- end-of-life care
- grief counseling
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
existentialism
spiritual liberation
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to be “embryos of existence free”?
- How does confronting death change how you live?
![“the only prospect which is really desirable or delightful, is that from the window of the breakfast-room [...] where we meet the first light of the dewy day, the first breath of the morning air, the first glance of gentle eyes; to which we descend in the very spring and elasticity of mental…” quote by John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/75f/john-ruskin-314_architecture_the-only-prospect-which-is-really-desira_1803368.jpg)
![“[The] public path of life Is dirty.” quote by Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b17/edward-young-1446_dirty_the-public-path-of-life-is-dirty-32418_32418.jpg)
