--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The rattling thunderbolt hath but his…" description: "\"The rattling thunderbolt hath but his clap, the lightning but his flash, and as they both come in a moment, so do they both end in a minute.\" — John Lyly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/john-lyly-6971_clap_the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-cl_474841.png" --- # The rattling thunderbolt hath but his clap, the lightning… ![“The rattling thunderbolt hath but his clap, the lightning but his flash, and as they both come in a moment, so do they both end in a minute.” quote by John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/john-lyly-6971_clap_the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-cl_474841.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/john-lyly-6971_clap_the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-cl_474841.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/john-lyly-6971_clap_the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-cl_474841.png) > “The rattling thunderbolt hath but his clap, the lightning but his flash, and as they both come in a moment, so do they both end in a minute.” [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Briefly, powerful events appear and disappear quickly, emphasizing their fleeting nature. **In simple terms:** Strong events are short-lived. Key Takeaway Appreciate moments before they pass. Themes impermanence time impact Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - storm watching - celebrations - critical decisions Key Concepts ephemerality transience Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor fleeting moments? - What does this say about urgency? A Different Perspective Even brief events can leave lasting impressions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Clap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clap/) [Clap Lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clap-lightning-4095992/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Flash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flash/) [Flash Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flash-come-4095994/) [Lightning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightning/) [Lightning Flash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lightning-flash-933512/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Rattling Thunderbolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rattling-thunderbolt-4095993/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) [Thunderbolts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thunderbolts/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“The Flash: I often come here to run and to think. But, today, I don’t want to think—I just want to run.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-taylor/the-flash-i-often-come-here-to-run-and-to-think-but-today-i-don-t/) [Tom Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-taylor/) > [Television news is like a lightning flash. It makes a loud noise, lights up everything around it, leaves everything else in darkness and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hodding-carter/television-news-is-like-a-lightning-flash-it-makes-a-loud-noise/) [Hodding Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hodding-carter/) > [I'm wondering if there's a spell to make lightning flash in the background whenever I make an ominous resolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/i-m-wondering-if-there-s-a-spell-to-make-lightning-flash-in-the/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [My Beloved One gleams like the lightning flash in the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir/my-beloved-one-gleams-like-the-lightning-flash-in-the-sky/) [Kabir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir/) > [“Have I ever really loved anyone at all, or was it a lightning flash which made me the shadow of my former self?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/have-i-ever-really-loved-anyone-at-all-or-was-it-a-lightning-flash/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was watching him crawl, Back over the wall-! Then bang! Crash! And the lightning flash! And- well, that's another story, Never mind- Anyway...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/i-was-watching-him-crawl-back-over-the-wall-then-bang-crash-and-the/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [His kiss was like white lightning, a flash that spread, and spread again, and stayed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/his-kiss-was-like-white-lightning-a-flash-that-spread-and-spread/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“Every so often, a lightning flash would reveal us to each other, and the expression on his face - so rapt, so helpless, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-lindner/every-so-often-a-lightning-flash-would-reveal-us-to-each-other-and/) [April Lindner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-lindner/) > [Tantra is the hot blood of spiritual practice. 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Citizens, there shall be in the future neither darkness nor thunderbolts;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/love-thine-is-the-future-death-i-use-thee-but-i-hate-thee-citizens/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [My countrymen should have nerves of steel, muscles of iron, and minds like thunderbolt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/my-countrymen-should-have-nerves-of-steel-muscles-of-iron-and-minds/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Soon all of you immortals Will be as dead as we are! Come on then, what are you waiting for? Have you run out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/soon-all-of-you-immortals-will-be-as-dead-as-we-are-come-on-then-what/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow! You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout Till you have drenched our teeples, drowned the cocks! You sulphurour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/blow-winds-and-crack-your-cheeks-rage-blow-you-cataracts-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by John Lyly > [A clere conscience is a sure carde.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/a-clere-conscience-is-a-sure-carde/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Thou art an heyre to fayre lying, that is nothing, if thou be disinherited of learning, for better were it to thee to inherite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/thou-art-an-heyre-to-fayre-lying-that-is-nothing-if-thou-be/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [The finest edge is made with the blunt whetstone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/the-finest-edge-is-made-with-the-blunt-whetstone/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Where the streame runneth smoothest, the water is deepest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/where-the-streame-runneth-smoothest-the-water-is-deepest/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Far more seemly to have thy study full of books, than thy purse full of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/far-more-seemly-to-have-thy-study-full-of-books-than-thy-purse-full/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [The greater the kindred is, the lesse the kindnesse must bee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/the-greater-the-kindred-is-the-lesse-the-kindnesse-must-bee/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Maydens, be they never so foolyshe, yet beeing fayre they are commonly fortunate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/maydens-be-they-never-so-foolyshe-yet-beeing-fayre-they-are-commonly/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [All is Fair In Love And War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/all-is-fair-in-love-and-war/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [A Rose is sweeter in the budde than full blowne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/a-rose-is-sweeter-in-the-budde-than-full-blowne/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Love is made in heaven and consummated on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/love-is-made-in-heaven-and-consummated-on-earth/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Beauty - a deceitful bait with a deadly hook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/beauty-a-deceitful-bait-with-a-deadly-hook/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [To love women and never enjoy them, is as much to love wine and never taste it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/to-love-women-and-never-enjoy-them-is-as-much-to-love-wine-and-never/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [If all the earth were paper white / And all the sea were ink / 'Twere not enough for me to write / As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/if-all-the-earth-were-paper-white-and-all-the-sea-were-ink-twere-not/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [When adversities flow, then love ebbs; but friendship standeth stiffly in storms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/when-adversities-flow-then-love-ebbs-but-friendship-standeth-stiffly/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Let the falling out of friends be a renewing of affection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/let-the-falling-out-of-friends-be-a-renewing-of-affection/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) [Explore all 96 John Lyly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) ## More Clap quotes > [For me it's the same thing if the fans boo or not, because my role is the villain. I'm happy when you clap me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alberto-del-rio/for-me-it-s-the-same-thing-if-the-fans-boo-or-not-because-my-role-is/) [Alberto Del Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alberto-del-rio/) > [“No, no,” he said. “She can’t raise it at all. She may only clap. Women must be very careful of their voices. If”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/no-no-he-said-she-can-t-raise-it-at-all-she-may-only-clap-women-must/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pharrell-williams/clap-along-if-you-feel-like-that-s-what-you-wanna-do/) [Pharrell Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pharrell-williams/) > [We all can't be princesses cause someone has 2 clap when I go by...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misundertood/we-all-can-t-be-princesses-cause-someone-has-2-clap-when-i-go-by/) [Misundertood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misundertood/) > [In Japan, the way they act at shows is very different from home because they don't yell, they clap for about 10 seconds after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-ross/in-japan-the-way-they-act-at-shows-is-very-different-from-home/) [Ryan Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-ross/) > [Let his herald your end,and begone with the thundder clap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masashi-kishimoto/let-his-herald-your-end-and-begone-with-the-thundder-clap/) [Masashi Kishimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masashi-kishimoto/) > [Don't clap too hard - it's a very old building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/don-t-clap-too-hard-it-s-a-very-old-building/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) > [Clap, clap, let em fall slow. I know you had your fears, you can let em all go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/clap-clap-let-em-fall-slow-i-know-you-had-your-fears-you-can-let-em/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“every thunderstorm has more than one thunder clap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sable-sylvan/every-thunderstorm-has-more-than-one-thunder-clap/) [Sable Sylvan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sable-sylvan/) > [“My heart applauds inside my ears, first like a roaring crowd, then slows and slows until it's a solitary person, clapping with unbridled sarcasm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/my-heart-applauds-inside-my-ears-first-like-a-roaring-crowd-then/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [I transitioned into theater and acting when I was about 9, community theater and musicals, being, like, chorus-kid-number-78 or whatever. But I just loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-maslany/i-transitioned-into-theater-and-acting-when-i-was-about-9-community/) [Tatiana Maslany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-maslany/) > [“What is it about the sound of clapping hands? Why does it seem like an ocean of sound, breaking like waves on top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/what-is-it-about-the-sound-of-clapping-hands-why-does-it-seem-like-an/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [“I think you've been sleeping on the job; the city isn't exactly paradise," she said caustically. 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Cause I'm working a sweat but it's all good, I'm breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lykke-li/wasting-time-to-get-it-right-and-you-will-see-what-i-m-about-cause-i/) [Lykke Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lykke-li/) [Browse all 148 Clap quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clap/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The rattling thunderbolt hath but his clap, the lightning but his flash, and as they both come in a moment, so do they both end in a minute.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Lyly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-clap-the-lightning-but-his/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Clap" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-clap-the-lightning-but-his/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/john-lyly-6971_clap_the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-cl_474841.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/john-lyly-6971_clap_the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-cl_474841.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/john-lyly-6971_clap_the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-cl_474841.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The rattling thunderbolt hath but his clap, the lightning but his flash, and as they both come in a moment…” — John Lyly", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Lyly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The rattling thunderbolt hath but his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-clap-the-lightning-but-his/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/the-rattling-thunderbolt-hath-but-his-clap-the-lightning-but-his/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```