--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When my mouth shall be filled with dust…" description: "\"When my mouth shall be filled with dust, and the worm shall feed, and feed sweetly upon me, when the ambitious man shall have no satisfaction if the po..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/john-donne-933_alive_when-my-mouth-shall-be-filled-with-dust_270679.png" --- # When my mouth shall be filled with dust, and the worm… ![“When my mouth shall be filled with dust, and the worm shall feed, and feed sweetly upon me, when the ambitious man shall have no satisfaction if the poorest alive tread upon him, nor the poorest receive any contentment in being made equal to princes, for they shall be equal but in dust.” quote by John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/john-donne-933_alive_when-my-mouth-shall-be-filled-with-dust_270679.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/john-donne-933_alive_when-my-mouth-shall-be-filled-with-dust_270679.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5b/john-donne-933_alive_when-my-mouth-shall-be-filled-with-dust_270679.png) > “When my mouth shall be filled with dust, and the worm shall feed, and feed sweetly upon me, when the ambitious man shall have no satisfaction if the poorest alive tread upon him, nor the poorest receive any contentment in being made equal to princes, for they shall be equal but in dust.” [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. All earthly ambitions dissolve into dust, making true equality only in death. **In simple terms:** Power and wealth are meaningless after death. Key Takeaway Focus on lasting values over fleeting status. Themes mortality humility equality Mood contemplative somber Type poetic religious When to use this quote - political ambition - social hierarchy - legacy building - ethical decisions Key Concepts vanitas spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How do you find meaning beyond material success? - What legacy do you wish to leave? A Different Perspective Life’s brevity can lead to nihilism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [Ambitious man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious-man/) [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Dust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dust/) [Dust Worm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dust-worm-2646504/) [Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal/) [Equal Dust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal-dust-2646506/) [Filled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/filled/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mouths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouths/) [Poorest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poorest/) [Princes Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/princes-shall-1833676/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Shall Feed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shall-feed-2646505/) [Worm Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worm-shall-492586/) [Worms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worms/) ## Related quotes > [“There was no breath in him, no flush of blood, no taint of sweat or tears. 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If then your body go, what need you a heart?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/various-content-to-your-eyes-ears-and-tongue-and-every-part-if-then/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [“Batter my heart, three-person'd God ; for you As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ; That I may rise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/batter-my-heart-three-person-d-god-for-you-as-yet-but-knock-breathe/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Young men mend not their sight by using old men's spectacles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/young-men-mend-not-their-sight-by-using-old-men-s-spectacles/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [That which attempts to elevate the ugly to the level of beauty becomes neither; but an obscenity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/that-which-attempts-to-elevate-the-ugly-to-the-level-of-beauty/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [For I am every dead thing In whom love wrought new alchemy For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/for-i-am-every-dead-thing-in-whom-love-wrought-new-alchemy-for-his/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [As states subsist in part by keeping their weaknesses from being known, so is it the quiet of families to have their chancery and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/as-states-subsist-in-part-by-keeping-their-weaknesses-from-being/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [All Kings, and all their favorites, All glory of honors, beauties, wits, The sun itself, which makes times, as they pass, Is elder by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/all-kings-and-all-their-favorites-all-glory-of-honors-beauties-wits/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [On a huge hill, Cragged, and steep, Truth stands, and hee that will Reach her, about must, and about must goo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/on-a-huge-hill-cragged-and-steep-truth-stands-and-hee-that-will-reach/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [How many times go we to comedies, to masques, to places of great and noble resort, nay even to church only to see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/how-many-times-go-we-to-comedies-to-masques-to-places-of-great-and/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy, or charms, can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/thou-art-slave-to-fate-chance-kings-and-desperate-men-and-dost-with/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) [Explore all 325 John Donne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. 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