--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Finished, it's finished, nearly finished…" description: "\"Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished. Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there's a heap, a little hea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/samuel-beckett-365_dimensions_finished-it-s-finished-nearly-finished-i_505804.png" --- # Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be… ![“Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished. Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there's a heap, a little heap, the impossible heap. I can't be punished any more. I'll go now to my kitchen, ten feet by ten feet by ten feet, and wait for him to whistle me…” quote by Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/samuel-beckett-365_dimensions_finished-it-s-finished-nearly-finished-i_505804.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/samuel-beckett-365_dimensions_finished-it-s-finished-nearly-finished-i_505804.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df5/samuel-beckett-365_dimensions_finished-it-s-finished-nearly-finished-i_505804.png) > “Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished. Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there's a heap, a little heap, the impossible heap. I can't be punished any more. I'll go now to my kitchen, ten feet by ten feet by ten feet, and wait for him to whistle me. Nice dimensions, nice proportions, I'll lean on the table, and look at the wall, and wait for him to whistle me.” [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Persistence in futile tasks leads to absurdity and resignation. **In simple terms:** Endless work feels meaningless. Key Takeaway Recognize when effort is futile. Themes absurdity existence futility patience Mood melancholic thoughtful Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - mundane chores - bureaucratic processes - creative blocks Key Concepts existentialism nihilism routine Questions to Reflect On - When should you stop a repetitive task? - How can you find meaning in routine? A Different Perspective Blind perseverance may waste time and energy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dimensions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dimensions/) [Grain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grain/) [Wait for him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wait-for-him/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) ## Related quotes > [When I've finally got the title, I think, "Okay, yes, now I know where we are. Now I know what it is. Fine, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/when-i-ve-finally-got-the-title-i-think-okay-yes-now-i-know-where-we/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Now I spend hours on headlines - days if necessary. And when I get a good headline, I know that my task is nearly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-caples/now-i-spend-hours-on-headlines-days-if-necessary-and-when-i-get-a/) [John Caples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-caples/) > [I never know when a record is finished until it's almost finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-never-know-when-a-record-is-finished-until-it-s-almost-finished/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [By seeing life's experiences through to the end, on our small scale, we can finally say, as Jesus did on the cross, "It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/by-seeing-life-s-experiences-through-to-the-end-on-our-small-scale-we/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [“It's as hard to get from almost finished to finished as to get from beginning to almost done.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elinor-fuchs/it-s-as-hard-to-get-from-almost-finished-to-finished-as-to-get-from/) Elinor Fuchs > [By seeing life's experiences on through to the end, on our small scale we can finally say, as Jesus did on the cross, "It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/by-seeing-life-s-experiences-on-through-to-the-end-on-our-small-scale/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [“A phrase Max had used bothered me. I was not to be surprised if my work underwent a change. I might find it becoming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-macardle/a-phrase-max-had-used-bothered-me-i-was-not-to-be-surprised-if-my/) [Dorothy Macardle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-macardle/) > [ It's just like sex; when \[a book is\] finished, it's finished. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-s-just-like-sex-when-a-book-is-finished-it-s-finished/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Script is not finished until it's finished. There's many times, partway through a film, when an idea comes, and I say, "How beautiful this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/script-is-not-finished-until-it-s-finished-there-s-many-times-partway/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [“Although it may not seem finished to anyone else, it’s finished to you. It’s your project. You did it by choice. You have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-sher/although-it-may-not-seem-finished-to-anyone-else-it-s-finished-to-you/) [Barbara Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-sher/) > [“The world wasn't built in a day. It took a long time to get this far and it still isn't finished. It never will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-world-wasn-t-built-in-a-day-it-took-a-long-time-to-get-this-far/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“(How do you know a piece is finished?:) It's never finished. The subject is never exhausted. -Louise Bourgeois”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-greenberg/how-do-you-know-a-piece-is-finished-it-s-never-finished-the-subject/) [Jan Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-greenberg/) > [When we surrender to His timing, He does mighty things in and for us, according to His will and His timing. God acts on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/when-we-surrender-to-his-timing-he-does-mighty-things-in-and-for-us/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-make-people-shun-you-and-laugh-at-you/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [The beanball is one of the meanest things on Earth and no decent fellow would use it. The beanball is a potential murderer. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-johnson/the-beanball-is-one-of-the-meanest-things-on-earth-and-no-decent/) [Walter Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-johnson/) ## More by Samuel Beckett > [“It was December, I had never felt so cold, the eel soup lay heavy on my stomach, I was afraid I'd die, I turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/it-was-december-i-had-never-felt-so-cold-the-eel-soup-lay-heavy-on-my/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“To be always what I am - and so changed from what I was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/to-be-always-what-i-am-and-so-changed-from-what-i-was/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [To what will love not stoop!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/to-what-will-love-not-stoop/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [With all this darkness round me I feel less alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/with-all-this-darkness-round-me-i-feel-less-alone/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“You may say it is all in my head, and indeed sometimes it seems to me I am in a head and that these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/you-may-say-it-is-all-in-my-head-and-indeed-sometimes-it-seems-to-me/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Here he stood. Here he sat. Here he knelt. Here he lay. Here he moved, to and fro, from the door to the window,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/here-he-stood-here-he-sat-here-he-knelt-here-he-lay-here-he-moved-to/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [I shall state silences more competently than ever a better man spangled the butterflies of vertigo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-shall-state-silences-more-competently-than-ever-a-better-man/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [It is useless not to seek, not to want, for when you cease to seek you start to find, and when you cease to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/it-is-useless-not-to-seek-not-to-want-for-when-you-cease-to-seek-you/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [We are not saints, but we have kept our appointment. How many people can boast as much?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/we-are-not-saints-but-we-have-kept-our-appointment-how-many-people/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [The new light above my table is a great improvement. With all this darkness around me I feel less alone. (Pause.) In a way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/the-new-light-above-my-table-is-a-great-improvement-with-all-this/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [I lay down across her with my face in her breasts and my hand on her. We lay there without moving. But under us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-lay-down-across-her-with-my-face-in-her-breasts-and-my-hand-on-her/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Women are all the bloody sameyou can't love for five minutes without wanting it abolished in brats and house bloody wifery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/women-are-all-the-bloody-sameyou-can-t-love-for-five-minutes-without/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“ESTRAGON: Do you think God sees me? VLADIMIR: You must close your eyes. Estragon closes his eyes, staggers worse. ESTRAGON: (stopping, brandishing his fists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/estragon-do-you-think-god-sees-me-vladimir-you-must-close-your-eyes/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [Deplorable mania, when something happens, to inquire what.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/deplorable-mania-when-something-happens-to-inquire-what/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) [Explore all 609 Samuel Beckett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) ## More Dimensions quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [When you're being truly creative, time stands still, and you enter a dimension that can carry you beyond the ordinariness of everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-linn/when-you-re-being-truly-creative-time-stands-still-and-you-enter-a/) [Denise Linn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-linn/) > [ Leave a cavity behind the \[wall\] facings, and on the inside build walls two feet thick, made of red dimension stone or burnt brick… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/leave-a-cavity-behind-the-wall-facings-and-on-the-inside-build-walls/) [Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Money should not be in the hands of individuals; otherwise it will create this problem of being burdened with guilt. And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Meditation is an opportunity to move into a dimension where there is no such thing as stress within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/meditation-is-an-opportunity-to-move-into-a-dimension-where-there-is/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [I'm saying that the domain of poetry includes both oral & written forms, that poetry goes back to a pre-literate situation & would survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-rothenberg/i-m-saying-that-the-domain-of-poetry-includes-both-oral-written-forms/) Jerome Rothenberg > [A mature mind is one who understands the impossibility of knowing the ultimate, and with this understanding there is a new dimension: the dimension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/a-mature-mind-is-one-who-understands-the-impossibility-of-knowing-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Emotional Literacy means being able to recognise what you are feeling, so that it doesn't interfere with thinking. It becomes another dimension to draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susie-orbach/emotional-literacy-means-being-able-to-recognise-what-you-are-feeling/) [Susie Orbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susie-orbach/) > [I think Kafka was right when he said that for a modern, secular, nonreligious man, state bureaucracy is the only remaining contact with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/i-think-kafka-was-right-when-he-said-that-for-a-modern-secular/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [Even if all life on our planet is destroyed, there must be other life somewhere which we know nothing of. It is impossible that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/even-if-all-life-on-our-planet-is-destroyed-there-must-be-other-life/) [Philip K. 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Calculate the time he is alive and it cannot compare to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/calculate-what-man-knows-and-it-cannot-compare-to-what-he-doesn-t/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) [Browse all 1,167 Dimensions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dimensions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished. Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there's a heap, a little heap, the impossible heap. I can't be punished any more. I'll go now to my kitchen, ten feet by ten feet by ten feet, and wait for him to whistle me. 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