--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But say That death be not one stroke, as…" description: "\"But say That death be not one stroke, as I supposed, Bereaving sense, but endless misery From this day onward, which I feel begun Both in me, and witho..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/john-milton-191_able_but-say-that-death-be-not-one-stroke-as_1701063.png" --- # But say That death be not one stroke, as I supposed… ![“But say That death be not one stroke, as I supposed, Bereaving sense, but endless misery From this day onward, which I feel begun Both in me, and without me, and so last To perpetuity; ay me, that fear Comes thund'ring back with dreadful revolution On my defenceless head; both Death and I Am found…” quote by John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/john-milton-191_able_but-say-that-death-be-not-one-stroke-as_1701063.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/john-milton-191_able_but-say-that-death-be-not-one-stroke-as_1701063.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/667/john-milton-191_able_but-say-that-death-be-not-one-stroke-as_1701063.png) > “But say That death be not one stroke, as I supposed, Bereaving sense, but endless misery From this day onward, which I feel begun Both in me, and without me, and so last To perpetuity; ay me, that fear Comes thund'ring back with dreadful revolution On my defenceless head; both Death and I Am found eternal, and incorporate both, Nor I on my part single, in me all Paradise Lost Posterity stands cursed: fair patrimony That I must leave ye, sons; O were I able To waste it all myself, and leave ye none!” [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker laments an endless cycle of suffering and fear, feeling trapped between death and eternity. **In simple terms:** Endless suffering and fear grip the speaker. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and confront inner turmoil. Themes suffering fear eternity existential despair Mood melancholic introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal reflection - therapy - literary analysis - spiritual counseling Key Concepts nihilism psychological torment existential dread Questions to Reflect On - What does this reveal about human resilience? - Can despair be transformed? A Different Perspective The perspective may overlook hope or agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Bereaving Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bereaving-sense-1151283/) [Cursed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cursed/) [Death Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-eternal-305391/) [Endless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endless/) [Endless Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/endless-misery-1151282/) [Eternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eternal/) [Fairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fairs/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Lasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasts/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misery/) [Paradise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradise/) [Paradise Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradise-lost/) [Patrimony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patrimony/) [Posterity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posterity/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Rings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rings/) [Say Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-death-300158/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Strokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strokes/) [This day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-day/) [Waste](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waste/) ## Related quotes > [“But say   That Death be not one stroak, as I suppos'd,   Bereaving sense, but endless miserie   From this day onward, which I feel begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/but-say-that-death-be-not-one-stroak-as-i-suppos-d-bereaving-sense/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Temporary happiness and endless misery suits me well...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/needa-muy/temporary-happiness-and-endless-misery-suits-me-well/) [Needa Muy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/needa-muy/) > [What in me is dark Illumine, what is low raise and support, That to the height of this great argument I may assert eternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/what-in-me-is-dark-illumine-what-is-low-raise-and-support-that-to-the-3/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“Or if they list to try Conjecture, he his fabric of the Heavens Hath left to their disputes, perhaps to move His laughter at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/or-if-they-list-to-try-conjecture-he-his-fabric-of-the-heavens-hath/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > ['Paradise Lost' is one of the books which the reader admires and lays down, and forgets to take up again. 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