Poetry Quote by John Steinbeck
““Casy said, "It'll be a short one." He bowed his head, and the others followed his lead. Casy said solemnly, "This here ol' man jus' lived a life an' jus' died out of it. I don't know whether he was good or bad, but that don't matter much. He was alive, an' that's what matters. An' now he's dead, an' that don't matter. Heard a fella tell a poem one time, an' he says, 'All that lives is holy.' Got to thinkin', an' purty soon it means more than the words says. An' I wouldn' pray for a ol' fella that's dead. He's awright. He got a job to do, but it's all laid out for 'im an' there's on'y one way to do it. But us, we got a job to do, an' they's a thousan' ways, an' we don' know which one to take. An' if I was to pray, it'd be for the folks that don' know which way to turn. Grampa here, he got the easy straight. An' now cover 'im up and let 'im get to his work." He raised his head.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, 1939
Life and death are equally sacred; purpose continues beyond mortality, and we must act despite uncertainty.
In simple terms: All life matters; we must keep moving despite not knowing the exact path.
Key Takeaway
Act with purpose even when the way is unclear.
Themes
purpose
mortality
uncertainty
faith
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- grief counseling
- community leadership
- personal decision making
- ethical dilemmas
Key Concepts
existentialism
humanism
spirituality
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to honor the dead through action?
- How do you find purpose when direction is unclear?
A Different Perspective
Life's meaning may be subjective and not universally agreed upon.
![“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three [great teachers] did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of…” quote by John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/84c/john-steinbeck-71_art_teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-t_1738.jpg)
