--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If so men's memories not a monument be…" description: "\"If so men's memories not a monument be, None shalt thou have. Warm hearts, and not cold stone, Must mark thy grave, or thou shalt lie, unknown. Marbles..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/john-vance-cheney-40254_cold_if-so-men-s-memories-not-a-monument-be-n_2782086.jpg" --- # If so men's memories not a monument be, None shalt thou… ![“If so men's memories not a monument be, None shalt thou have. Warm hearts, and not cold stone, Must mark thy grave, or thou shalt lie, unknown. Marbles keep not themselves; how then, keep thee?” quote by John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/john-vance-cheney-40254_cold_if-so-men-s-memories-not-a-monument-be-n_2782086.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/john-vance-cheney-40254_cold_if-so-men-s-memories-not-a-monument-be-n_2782086.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/john-vance-cheney-40254_cold_if-so-men-s-memories-not-a-monument-be-n_2782086.jpg) > “If so men's memories not a monument be, None shalt thou have. Warm hearts, and not cold stone, Must mark thy grave, or thou shalt lie, unknown. Marbles keep not themselves; how then, keep thee?” [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that a life without lasting deeds is like a cold stone—only remembered if one leaves meaningful impact. **In simple terms:** Live meaningfully or be forgotten. Key Takeaway Leave a lasting, warm legacy. Themes legacy memory meaning mortality Mood reflective somber Type philosophical poetic When to use this quote - public service - artistic creation - personal relationships - community building Key Concepts existentialism humanism Questions to Reflect On - What deeds will you do to be remembered? - How can you make everyday actions meaningful? A Different Perspective If one’s actions are modest, they may still be forgotten despite good intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Monument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monument/) [Warm heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warm-heart/) ## Related quotes > [Look on the grave where thou must sleep Thy last, and strongest foe; It is endurance not to weep, If that repose seem woe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/look-on-the-grave-where-thou-must-sleep-thy-last-and-strongest-foe-it/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [Sweet rose, whose hue, angry and brave, Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye, Thy root is even in the grave, And thou must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/sweet-rose-whose-hue-angry-and-brave-bids-the-rash-gazer-wipe-his-eye/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatsoever-thy-hand-findeth-to-do-do-it-with-thy-might-for-there-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Old men's eyes are like old men's memories; they are strongest for things a long way off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/old-men-s-eyes-are-like-old-men-s-memories-they-are-strongest-for/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [I was remembering the things we had done together, the times we had had. It would have been pleasant to preserve that comradeship in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-christopher/i-was-remembering-the-things-we-had-done-together-the-times-we-had/) [John Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-christopher/) > [“Men's memories are uncertain and the past that was differs little from the past that was not" -Judge Holden”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/men-s-memories-are-uncertain-and-the-past-that-was-differs-little-2/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [He poured the tumbler full. Drink up, he said. The world goes on. We have dancing nightly and this night is no exception. 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Through its silver veil the evil and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/quite-the-ugliest-face-i-ever-saw-was-that-of-a-woman-whom-the-world/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [Of two hearts one is always warm and one is always cold: the cold heart is more precious than diamonds: the warm heart has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/of-two-hearts-one-is-always-warm-and-one-is-always-cold-the-cold/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [Love will fan the flame, and that flame will warm the heart that's waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-w-smith/love-will-fan-the-flame-and-that-flame-will-warm-the-heart-that-s/) [Michael W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-w-smith/) ## More by John Vance Cheney > [The message from the hedge-leaves, Heed it, whoso thou art; Under lowly eaves Lives the happy heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/the-message-from-the-hedge-leaves-heed-it-whoso-thou-art-under-lowly/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [I pour into the world the eternal streams Wan prophets tent beside, and dream their dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/i-pour-into-the-world-the-eternal-streams-wan-prophets-tent-beside/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears. \[So when you are crying remember also to anticipate and look for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/the-soul-would-have-no-rainbow-had-the-eyes-no-tears-so-when-you-are/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [A breath, whence no man knows, Swaying the grating weeds, it blows; It comes, it grieves, it goes. Once it rocked the summer rose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/a-breath-whence-no-man-knows-swaying-the-grating-weeds-it-blows-it/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [Holding occasion by the hand, Not over nice 'twixt weed and flower, Waiving what none can understand, I make mine hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/holding-occasion-by-the-hand-not-over-nice-twixt-weed-and-flower/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [The happiest heart that ever beat Was in some quiet breast That found the common daylight sweet, And left to Heaven the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/the-happiest-heart-that-ever-beat-was-in-some-quiet-breast-that-found/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [The wind is awake, pretty leave, pretty leaves, Heed not what he says, he deceives, he deceives; Over and over To the lowly clover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/the-wind-is-awake-pretty-leave-pretty-leaves-heed-not-what-he-says-he/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [No command of art, No toil, can help you hear; Earth's minstrelsy falls clear But on the listening heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/no-command-of-art-no-toil-can-help-you-hear-earth-s-minstrelsy-falls/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [I question not if thrushes sing, If roses load the air; Beyond my heart I need not reach When all is summer there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/i-question-not-if-thrushes-sing-if-roses-load-the-air-beyond-my-heart/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) > [The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-vance-cheney/the-soul-would-have-no-rainbow-had-the-eyes-no-tears/) [John Vance Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) [Explore all 11 John Vance Cheney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-vance-cheney/) ## More Cold quotes > [Once ye made up yer mind to do somethin', 'tis better t'stumble o'er the small hillock of jump-ahead than t'bash yer head on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/once-ye-made-up-yer-mind-to-do-somethin-tis-better-t-stumble-o-er-the/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [Of course Messi could handle a cold Tuesday night in Stoke. He'd be drinking tea and relaxing beforehand. Me? I'd probably be the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neymar/of-course-messi-could-handle-a-cold-tuesday-night-in-stoke-he-d-be/) [Neymar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neymar/) > [This cold weather has set all the young Folks to providing Bedfellows. 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We must heal the sick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henrik-ibsen/what-s-to-become-of-the-morally-sound-left-out-in-the-cold-i-suppose/) [Henrik Ibsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henrik-ibsen/) > [When I first started, all the reviews of Cold Chisel would say, 'This singer won't have a voice in six months.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/when-i-first-started-all-the-reviews-of-cold-chisel-would-say-this/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [One of the problems trying to play an instrument outside in the cold is your fingers give up on you and you can't wear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-macdonald/one-of-the-problems-trying-to-play-an-instrument-outside-in-the-cold/) [Amy Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-macdonald/) > [God tempers the cold to the shorn sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/god-tempers-the-cold-to-the-shorn-sheep/) Henri Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville > [Those nights lying alone are not discontinuous with this cold hectic dawn. It is who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/those-nights-lying-alone-are-not-discontinuous-with-this-cold-hectic/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) [Browse all 5,381 Cold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If so men's memories not a monument be, None shalt thou have. Warm hearts, and not cold stone, Must mark thy grave, or thou shalt lie, unknown. 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