--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All mankind is of one author, and is one…" description: "\"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/john-donne-933_books_all-mankind-is-of-one-author-and-is-one_38719.png" --- # All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one… ![“All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to…” quote by John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/john-donne-933_books_all-mankind-is-of-one-author-and-is-one_38719.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/john-donne-933_books_all-mankind-is-of-one-author-and-is-one_38719.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/john-donne-933_books_all-mankind-is-of-one-author-and-is-one_38719.png) > “All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness…No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human lives are interconnected; each death affects the whole, urging empathy and shared responsibility. **In simple terms:** We are all linked, so another's loss is our loss. Key Takeaway Our fate is shared. Themes interdependence mortality empathy collective responsibility spiritual unity Mood solemn reflective hopeful Type philosophical spiritual literary When to use this quote - grieving a loved one - public mourning - social activism - philosophical reflection - spiritual contemplation Key Concepts humanity death community sacredness Practical Applications - writing about social cohesion - teaching ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing shared humanity change our actions? - What responsibilities arise from this interdependence? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Chapter Translated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chapter-translated-449274/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Dies Chapter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dies-chapter-449272/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Mankind Author](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind-author-449273/) [Sermon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermon/) ## Related quotes > [All mankind is one volume. 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I desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/my-religious-convictions-and-scientific-views-cannot-at-present-be/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [A woman can say more in a sigh than a man can say in a sermon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-haultain/a-woman-can-say-more-in-a-sigh-than-a-man-can-say-in-a-sermon/) [Arnold Haultain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-haultain/) ## More by John Donne > [Our critical day is not the very day of our death; but the whole course of our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/our-critical-day-is-not-the-very-day-of-our-death-but-the-whole/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [But I do nothing upon myself, and yet I am my own executioner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/but-i-do-nothing-upon-myself-and-yet-i-am-my-own-executioner/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [We study health, and we deliberate upon our meats and drink and air and exercises, and we hew and we polish every stone that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/we-study-health-and-we-deliberate-upon-our-meats-and-drink-and-air/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Commemoration of Pandita Mary Ramabai, Translator of the Scriptures, 1922 A memory of yesterday's pleasures, a fear of tomorrow's dangers, a straw under my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/commemoration-of-pandita-mary-ramabai-translator-of-the-scriptures/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Various content To your eyes, ears, and tongue, and every part. 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. 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