--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And life is thorny; and youth is vain" description: "\"“And life is thorny; and youth is vain”\" — Samuel Taylor Coleridge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/samuel-taylor-coleridge-425_life_and-life-is-thorny-and-youth-is-vain-229_2298299.jpg" --- # And life is thorny; and youth is vain ![“And life is thorny; and youth is vain” quote by Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/samuel-taylor-coleridge-425_life_and-life-is-thorny-and-youth-is-vain-229_2298299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/samuel-taylor-coleridge-425_life_and-life-is-thorny-and-youth-is-vain-229_2298299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c20/samuel-taylor-coleridge-425_life_and-life-is-thorny-and-youth-is-vain-229_2298299.jpg) > ““And life is thorny; and youth is vain”” [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is fraught with hardship, and youthful ambitions often prove futile or illusory. **In simple terms:** Life is hard; youth is fleeting. Key Takeaway Accept impermanence and focus on lasting values. Themes mortality vanity human condition Mood reflective somber thoughtful Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - relationship building - spiritual practice - artistic creation Key Concepts nihilism existential reflection temporal nature Questions to Reflect On - What lasting values can you cultivate now? - How does recognizing life's thorniness affect your choices? A Different Perspective Youthful optimism can still inspire meaningful action despite its fleeting nature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Alas! they had been friends in youth; But whispering tongues can poison truth, And constancy lives in realms above; And life is thorny, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/alas-they-had-been-friends-in-youth-but-whispering-tongues-can-poison/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [“Life is a thorny journey with sweet destinations”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabiso-monkoe/life-is-a-thorny-journey-with-sweet-destinations/) [Thabiso Monkoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabiso-monkoe/) > [“Flowery tongues have thorny throats.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirush-muser/flowery-tongues-have-thorny-throats/) Kirush Muser > [“I found myself in a place that was thorny, but because I was so used to being there, it bore out certain twisted sensations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-plum-ucci/i-found-myself-in-a-place-that-was-thorny-but-because-i-was-so-used/) [Carol Plum-Ucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-plum-ucci/) > [Our love is like a red, red rose... and I am a little thorny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/our-love-is-like-a-red-red-rose-and-i-am-a-little-thorny/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [Always grow flowers, as that will make your way full of flowers. 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