--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: my candle burns at both ends it will not…" description: "\"“my candle burns at both ends it will not last the night but arh my friends and oh my foes it gives a lovely light”\" — Roald Dahl" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/roald-dahl-899_candle_my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not_2404941.jpg" --- # my candle burns at both ends it will not last the night… ![“my candle burns at both ends it will not last the night but arh my friends and oh my foes it gives a lovely light” quote by Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/roald-dahl-899_candle_my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not_2404941.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/roald-dahl-899_candle_my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not_2404941.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/roald-dahl-899_candle_my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not_2404941.jpg) > ““my candle burns at both ends it will not last the night but arh my friends and oh my foes it gives a lovely light”” [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Burning oneself from both ends symbolizes intense effort that yields bright but fleeting results, affecting both allies and adversaries. **In simple terms:** Working too hard burns out quickly. Key Takeaway Balance effort to sustain impact. Themes effort balance relationships Mood cautionary poetic Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - project deadlines - creative pursuits - relationships Key Concepts sustainability personal limits Questions to Reflect On - How to maintain passion without burnout? - What defines a “lovely light” in life? A Different Perspective It may glorify burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Candle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candle/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) ## Related quotes > [My candle burns at both ends; it will not last the night; but ah, my foes, and oh, my friends - it gives a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not-last-the-night-but-ah-my/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [I burned the candle at both ends and it often gave a lovely light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-burned-the-candle-at-both-ends-and-it-often-gave-a-lovely-light/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Sixteen candles make a lovely light But not as bright as your eyes tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-dixon/sixteen-candles-make-a-lovely-light-but-not-as-bright-as-your-eyes/) Luther Dixon > [“I think perhaps I will always hold a candle for you – even until it burns my hand. And when the light has long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ranata-suzuki/i-think-perhaps-i-will-always-hold-a-candle-for-you-even-until-it/) [Ranata Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ranata-suzuki/) > [Its my bad luck that I cant differentiate between a candle and a woman ;both are bound to burn. A candle burns to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohd-aariff-khan/its-my-bad-luck-that-i-cant-differentiate-between-a-candle-and-a/) [Mohd Aariff Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohd-aariff-khan/) > [My candle burns at both ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-st-vincent-millay/my-candle-burns-at-both-ends/) [Edna St. Vincent Millay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-st-vincent-millay/) > [A candle burns to give brightness while a woman burns to brighten your life/personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohd-aariff-khan/a-candle-burns-to-give-brightness-while-a-woman-burns-to-brighten/) [Mohd Aariff Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohd-aariff-khan/) > [Live like a candle which burns itself but gives light to others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/live-like-a-candle-which-burns-itself-but-gives-light-to-others/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [Live like a candle that burns itself, but give light to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/live-like-a-candle-that-burns-itself-but-give-light-to-others/) Unkown > [Always try to make yourself like a candle, which itself burns but gives light to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-try-to-make-yourself-like-a-candle-which-itself-burns-but/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“... my aim in writing The Watch That Ends the Night was not to present history. My aim was to present humanity. The people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-wolf/my-aim-in-writing-the-watch-that-ends-the-night-was-not-to-present/) [Allan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-wolf/) > [A thousand ages in Thy sight Are like an evening gone; Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-thousand-ages-in-thy-sight-are-like-an-evening-gone-short-as-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In one way, I suppose, I have been 'in denial' for some time, knowingly burning the candle at both ends and finding that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/in-one-way-i-suppose-i-have-been-in-denial-for-some-time-knowingly/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Yeah it starts with a smile and it ends with an all night long slow kiss~Thomas Rhett(:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-rhett/yeah-it-starts-with-a-smile-and-it-ends-with-an-all-night-long-slow/) [Thomas Rhett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-rhett/) > [This is our world. Aye, there's more than enough of darkness in it. But over everything there's all this joy, Kit. There's all this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-almond/this-is-our-world-aye-there-s-more-than-enough-of-darkness-in-it-but/) [David Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-almond/) ## More by Roald Dahl > [Nowadays you can go anywhere in the world in a few hours, and nothing is fabulous any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/nowadays-you-can-go-anywhere-in-the-world-in-a-few-hours-and-nothing/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When I walked to school in the mornings I would start out alone but would pick up four other boys along the way. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-i-walked-to-school-in-the-mornings-i-would-start-out-alone-but/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“There's no earthly way of knowing Which direction we are going There's no knowing where we're rowing Or which way the river's flowing Is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/there-s-no-earthly-way-of-knowing-which-direction-we-are-going-there/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“One of the vital things for a writer who’s writing a book, which is a lengthy project and is going to take about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/one-of-the-vital-things-for-a-writer-who-s-writing-a-book-which-is-a/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“When Bruce Bogtrotter had eaten his way through half of the entire enormous cake, he paused for just a couple of seconds and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-bruce-bogtrotter-had-eaten-his-way-through-half-of-the-entire/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Eschew all those beastly adjectives...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/eschew-all-those-beastly-adjectives/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Bunkum and tummyrot! You'll never get anywhere if you go about what-iffing like that. Would Columbus have discovered America if he'd said 'What if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/bunkum-and-tummyrot-you-ll-never-get-anywhere-if-you-go-about-what/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [If the Good Lord intended for us to walk, he wouldn't have invented rollar skates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/if-the-good-lord-intended-for-us-to-walk-he-wouldn-t-have-invented/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-witching-hour-somebody-had-once-whispered-to-her-was-a-special/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/those-who-don-t-believe-in-magic-will-never-find-it/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/but-there-was-one-other-thing-that-the-grown-ups-also-knew-and-it-was/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/when-writing-about-oneself-one-must-strive-to-be-truthful-truth-is/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“the world is a scary place for such a small child”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-world-is-a-scary-place-for-such-a-small-child/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [And above all, watch with glittering eyes the world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/and-above-all-watch-with-glittering-eyes-the-world-around-you-because/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [“We must hurry!’ said Mr. Wonka. ‘We have so much time and so little to do! No! Wait! Strike that! Reverse it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/we-must-hurry-said-mr-wonka-we-have-so-much-time-and-so-little-to-do/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) [Explore all 318 Roald Dahl quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) ## More Candle quotes > [I'm a candle flame that sways in currents of air you can't see. You need to be the one who steadies me to burn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-gordimer/i-m-a-candle-flame-that-sways-in-currents-of-air-you-can-t-see-you/) [Nadine Gordimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-gordimer/) > [I still get nervous about singing. I drink tea with honey and lemon before every concert. And I need to have scented candles in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-still-get-nervous-about-singing-i-drink-tea-with-honey-and-lemon/) [Mary J. Blige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-blige/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/) [Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [On Hanukkah, the first dark night, Light yourself a candle bright. I'll you, if you will me invite To dance within that gentle light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gordon/on-hanukkah-the-first-dark-night-light-yourself-a-candle-bright-i-ll/) [Nick Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gordon/) > [I try to be the clown and court jester and make people laugh. At the same time, you have people in the hospital who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-simmons/i-try-to-be-the-clown-and-court-jester-and-make-people-laugh-at-the/) [Richard Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-simmons/) > [Only by the candle, held in the skeleton hand of Poverty, can man read his own dark heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/only-by-the-candle-held-in-the-skeleton-hand-of-poverty-can-man-read/) [Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-bulwer-lytton-1st-baron-lytton/) > [Traveling is all very well if you can get home at night. I would be willing to go around the world if I came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gladys-taber/traveling-is-all-very-well-if-you-can-get-home-at-night-i-would-be/) [Gladys Taber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gladys-taber/) > [Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God, first fill your own house with the fragrance of love. Go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/go-not-to-the-temple-to-put-flowers-upon-the-feet-of-god-first-fill/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [“Two ways to be a light for all, is to be a flaming candle or the mirror that reflects it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/two-ways-to-be-a-light-for-all-is-to-be-a-flaming-candle-or-the/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“Some will see your flame and want to blow it out...others will approach with a candle...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenita-vangellis/some-will-see-your-flame-and-want-to-blow-it-out-others-will-approach/) [Lenita Vangellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenita-vangellis/) > [So here I sit in the early candle-light of old age-I and my book-casting backward glances over out travel'd road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/so-here-i-sit-in-the-early-candle-light-of-old-age-i-and-my-book/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [I was eating beans by candle light for a decade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-andre/i-was-eating-beans-by-candle-light-for-a-decade/) [Eric Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-andre/) > [The stars begin to fade like guttering candles and are snuffed out one by one. Out in the depths of space the great celestial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-robert-harrison/the-stars-begin-to-fade-like-guttering-candles-and-are-snuffed-out/) [Edward Robert Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-robert-harrison/) [Browse all 1,033 Candle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/candle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“my candle burns at both ends it will not last the night but arh my friends and oh my foes it gives a lovely light”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roald Dahl" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not-last-the-night-but-arh-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Candle" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not-last-the-night-but-arh-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/roald-dahl-899_candle_my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not_2404941.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/roald-dahl-899_candle_my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not_2404941.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c7/roald-dahl-899_candle_my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not_2404941.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“my candle burns at both ends it will not last the night but arh my friends and oh my foes it gives a lovely…” — Roald Dahl", "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": "Roald Dahl", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“my candle burns at both ends...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not-last-the-night-but-arh-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/my-candle-burns-at-both-ends-it-will-not-last-the-night-but-arh-my/#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 } } ] } ```