Bodies Quote by Gene Wolfe
““And what of the dead? I own that I thought of myself, at times, almost as dead. Are they not locked below ground in chambers smaller than mine was, in their millions of millions? There is no category of human activity in which the dead do not outnumber the living many times over. Most beautiful children are dead. Most soldiers, most cowards. The fairest women and the most learned men – all are dead. Their bodies repose in caskets, in sarcophagi, beneath arches of rude stone, everywhere under the earth. Their spirits haunt our minds, ears pressed to the bones of our foreheads. Who can say how intently they listen as we speak, or for what word? ””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe, 1980
Contemplates the overwhelming presence of death, suggesting that the dead vastly outnumber the living and continue to influence the living.
In simple terms: The dead outnumber the living and linger in our thoughts.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge mortality and its impact.
Themes
mortality
memory
existence
Mood
somber
contemplative
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- historical research
- philosophical reflection
- writing
- teaching
Key Concepts
impermanence
legacy
human condition
Questions to Reflect On
- How does awareness of death shape your choices?
- What can we learn from the dead?
A Different Perspective
The quote may romanticize death, neglecting the value of life.
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