--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No defeat, no surrender Ain't no pockets…" description: "\"“No defeat, no surrender Ain't no pockets in a shroud There is nothing so sure in life as death and taxes”\" — Ninette Kelly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b68/ninette-kelly-266595_death_no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets_2487539.jpg" --- # No defeat, no surrender Ain't no pockets in a shroud There… ![“No defeat, no surrender Ain't no pockets in a shroud There is nothing so sure in life as death and taxes” quote by Ninette Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b68/ninette-kelly-266595_death_no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets_2487539.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b68/ninette-kelly-266595_death_no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets_2487539.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b68/ninette-kelly-266595_death_no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets_2487539.jpg) > ““No defeat, no surrender Ain't no pockets in a shroud There is nothing so sure in life as death and taxes”” Ninette Kelly ## 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 juxtaposes inevitable hardships like death and taxes with defeat and surrender, suggesting nothing is certain except mortality and obligations. **In simple terms:** Life is certain only in death, taxes, and challenges. Key Takeaway Accept inevitability, focus on what you can control. Themes death taxes defeat life surrender Mood reflective serious Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - financial planning - health coping - risk assessment - personal resilience - philosophical reflection Key Concepts mortality inevitability existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How do you confront inevitable hardships? - What can you control amid certainty? A Different Perspective Life also includes joy and growth beyond inevitabilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death and taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-and-taxes/) [Death Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-taxes/) [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Surrender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrender/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [The only certainties in life are death and taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-only-certainties-in-life-are-death-and-taxes/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The only certain things in life are death and taxes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/the-only-certain-things-in-life-are-death-and-taxes/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The only 2 things guaranteed in this life are death and taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-2-things-guaranteed-in-this-life-are-death-and-taxes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But in this world nothing is sure but death and taxes. \[Fr., Mais dons ce monde, il n'y a rien d'assure que le mort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/but-in-this-world-nothing-is-sure-but-death-and-taxes-fr-mais-dons-ce/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The difference between death and taxes is death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-difference-between-death-and-taxes-is-death-doesn-t-get-worse/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The difference between death and taxes, is Death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/the-difference-between-death-and-taxes-is-death-doesn-t-get-worse-2/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [Certainty? In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/certainty-in-this-world-nothing-is-certain-but-death-and-taxes/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“...but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/but-in-this-world-nothing-can-be-said-to-be-certain-except-death-and/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Another difference between death and taxes is that you don't have to work like fury to pay for the dying you did last year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-quillen/another-difference-between-death-and-taxes-is-that-you-don-t-have-to/) [Robert Quillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-quillen/) > [The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-only-difference-between-death-and-taxes-is-that-death-doesn-t-get/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [“Nothing is certain but death and taxes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lynn-barnes/nothing-is-certain-but-death-and-taxes/) [Jennifer Lynn Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lynn-barnes/) > [Apart from death and taxes, the one thing that's certain in this life is that I'll never be a fashion icon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dickinson/apart-from-death-and-taxes-the-one-thing-that-s-certain-in-this-life/) [Bruce Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dickinson/) > [Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but death and taxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bullock/tis-impossible-to-be-sure-of-any-thing-but-death-and-taxes/) Christopher Bullock > [Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/our-constitution-is-in-actual-operation-everything-appears-to-promise/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“They say that nothing is certain but death and taxes, and I already screwed one of those up, so I better pay my taxes…”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-alexander-sims/they-say-that-nothing-is-certain-but-death-and-taxes-and-i-already/) Edmund Alexander Sims ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No defeat, no surrender Ain't no pockets in a shroud There is nothing so sure in life as death and taxes”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ninette Kelly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-kelly/no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets-in-a-shroud-there-is-nothing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-kelly/no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets-in-a-shroud-there-is-nothing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b68/ninette-kelly-266595_death_no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets_2487539.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b68/ninette-kelly-266595_death_no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets_2487539.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b68/ninette-kelly-266595_death_no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets_2487539.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No defeat, no surrender Ain't no pockets in a shroud There is nothing so sure in life as death and taxes” — Ninette Kelly", "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": "Ninette Kelly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninette-kelly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“No defeat, no surrender Ain't no...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-kelly/no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets-in-a-shroud-there-is-nothing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninette-kelly/no-defeat-no-surrender-ain-t-no-pockets-in-a-shroud-there-is-nothing/#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 } } ] } ```