---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Out of a fired ship, which by no way But…"
description: "\"“Out of a fired ship, which by no way But drowning could be rescued from the flame, Some men leap'd forth, and ever as they came Near the foes' ships, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/john-donne-933_melancholy_out-of-a-fired-ship-which-by-no-way-but_2624649.png"
---

#  Out of a fired ship, which by no way But drowning could be…

![“Out of a fired ship, which by no way But drowning could be rescued from the flame, Some men leap'd forth, and ever as they came Near the foes' ships, did by their shot decay; So all were lost, which in the ship were found, They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown'd.” quote by John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/john-donne-933_melancholy_out-of-a-fired-ship-which-by-no-way-but_2624649.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/john-donne-933_melancholy_out-of-a-fired-ship-which-by-no-way-but_2624649.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfe/john-donne-933_melancholy_out-of-a-fired-ship-which-by-no-way-but_2624649.png)

> ““Out of a fired ship, which by no way But drowning could be rescued from the flame, Some men leap'd forth, and ever as they came Near the foes' ships, did by their shot decay; So all were lost, which in the ship were found, They in the sea being burnt, they in the burnt ship drown'd.””

[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.

A desperate rescue attempt fails as those who try to escape a burning ship are killed by the fire and enemy fire.

**In simple terms:** Attempts to escape disaster can end in tragedy.

Key Takeaway

Beware of reckless rescue.

Themes

danger desperation failure

Mood

tragic somber

Type

poetic dramatic

When to use this quote

- naval battles
- emergency rescues
- war zones
- fire incidents

Key Concepts

heroism fatalism conflict

Questions to Reflect On

- What risks are worth taking?
- When does help become harmful?

A Different Perspective

Rescue may be impossible if the threat is overwhelming.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Burnt Ship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burnt-ship-2138872/) [Fired Ship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fired-ship-2138874/) [Melancholy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/melancholy/) [Sea Burnt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea-burnt-2138871/) [Ship Drown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ship-drown-2138873/) [Way Drowning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-drowning-2138875/)

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## 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/)

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> [“As ofttimes as it rains on my little spot of earth, you'd think I'd grow accustomed to the gloom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/as-ofttimes-as-it-rains-on-my-little-spot-of-earth-you-d-think-i-d/)

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