--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We think literature is immortal, but even…" description: "\"We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.\" — Mick Farren" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/mick-farren-42519_books_we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even_8502.jpg" --- # We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and… ![“We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.” quote by Mick Farren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/mick-farren-42519_books_we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even_8502.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/mick-farren-42519_books_we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even_8502.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/mick-farren-42519_books_we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even_8502.jpg) > “We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.” [Mick Farren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-farren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even the most enduring works of literature are subject to time's erosion, eventually losing relevance and physical form. **In simple terms:** Literature's permanence is an illusion. Key Takeaway All cultural artifacts decay. Themes impermanence cultural decay ephemerality legacy mortality Mood reflective somber philosophical Type aphorism observation cautionary When to use this quote - preserving archives - teaching classic literature - digitalizing texts - discussing cultural heritage - museum curation Key Concepts transience material decay historical relevance Practical Applications - archival preservation - digital conversion of printed works Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect our valuation of classic works? - What responsibilities do we have to preserve literature? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Literature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literature/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Our thoughts are boundless, though our frames are frail, Our souls immortal, though our limbs decay; Though darken'd in this poor life by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gates-percival/our-thoughts-are-boundless-though-our-frames-are-frail-our-souls/) [James Gates Percival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gates-percival/) > [The real world is simply too terrible to admit. it tells man that he is a small trembling animal who will someday decay and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/the-real-world-is-simply-too-terrible-to-admit-it-tells-man-that-he/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [The actions of bad men produce only temporary evil, the actions of good men only temporary good ; and eventually the good and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas-buckle/the-actions-of-bad-men-produce-only-temporary-evil-the-actions-of/) [Henry Thomas Buckle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas-buckle/) > [So behave that the odor of your actions may enhance the general sweetness of the atmosphere, that when we behold or scent a flower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/so-behave-that-the-odor-of-your-actions-may-enhance-the-general/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Women's books are kind of discriminated against. If a man writes a book about his family stories, people think of it as literature. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/women-s-books-are-kind-of-discriminated-against-if-a-man-writes-a/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [I think literature has lost it's power. Great novels continue to be written, but they are no longer changing the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/i-think-literature-has-lost-it-s-power-great-novels-continue-to-be/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [I think that literature is something that embraces a much larger experience than politics. It's an expression of what is life, of what are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/i-think-that-literature-is-something-that-embraces-a-much-larger/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [It seems to me that literature is giving way a little bit to the immediacy of other diversions, other forms of entertainment. What will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/it-seems-to-me-that-literature-is-giving-way-a-little-bit-to-the/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [“Mine is not an obedient writing. I think that literature as any art has to be irreverent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinaldo-arenas/mine-is-not-an-obedient-writing-i-think-that-literature-as-any-art/) [Reinaldo Arenas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinaldo-arenas/) > [“You don’t think that literature can be a reflection of real life?” “Sure it can. 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I think that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/the-writer-s-job-is-to-write-with-rigor-with-commitment-to-defend/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [I think literature is somehow both a fantasy and a reality we should all get back to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-warren-jones/i-think-literature-is-somehow-both-a-fantasy-and-a-reality-we-should/) [Shane Warren Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-warren-jones/) > [I don't think if you're serious about literature your library is filled with award-winning books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wylie/i-don-t-think-if-you-re-serious-about-literature-your-library-is/) [Andrew Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wylie/) > [I don't really think in terms of the future of literature. I think literature will be around "forever" - but in a relatively niche…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-really-think-in-terms-of-the-future-of-literature-i-think/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) ## More by Mick Farren > [I like to write adventure stories; that's what I tell myself. But you can't help letting your own personality, your own experiences, slip through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/i-like-to-write-adventure-stories-that-s-what-i-tell-myself-but-you/) [Mick Farren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-farren/) > [You are frightened of everything. You call it caution. You call it common sense. You call it practicality. 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mick Farren" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/mick-farren-42519_books_we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even_8502.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/mick-farren-42519_books_we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even_8502.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37e/mick-farren-42519_books_we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even_8502.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We think literature is immortal, but even that decays and ultimately turns to dust.” — Mick Farren", "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": "Mick Farren", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-farren/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We think literature is immortal, but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-farren/we-think-literature-is-immortal-but-even-that-decays-and-ultimately/#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 } } ] } ```