---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My men have suffered greatly (from…"
description: "\"My men have suffered greatly (from boredom), much blood has been shed (by mosquitoes), and I have swung my ax mightily (chopping firewood). Surely we h..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb3/seth-grahame-smith-2321_blood_my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredo_1541958.jpg"
---

#  My men have suffered greatly (from boredom), much blood…

![“My men have suffered greatly (from boredom), much blood has been shed (by mosquitoes), and I have swung my ax mightily (chopping firewood). Surely we have earned our place in the annals of history—for never has there been so little war in a war.” quote by Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb3/seth-grahame-smith-2321_blood_my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredo_1541958.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb3/seth-grahame-smith-2321_blood_my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredo_1541958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb3/seth-grahame-smith-2321_blood_my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredo_1541958.jpg)

> “My men have suffered greatly (from boredom), much blood has been shed (by mosquitoes), and I have swung my ax mightily (chopping firewood). Surely we have earned our place in the annals of history—for never has there been so little war in a war.”

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A humorous lament about the absurdities of war and boredom, using exaggerated imagery.

**In simple terms:** War can be absurd and boring.

Key Takeaway

Find humor in hardship.

Themes

war absurdity humor history

Mood

witty ironic

Type

satirical humorous

When to use this quote

- military life
- creative writing
- storytelling
- public speaking

Key Concepts

satire irony exaggeration

Questions to Reflect On

- How does satire change perception of conflict?
- When is humor inappropriate?

A Different Perspective

Humor may downplay serious suffering.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Boredom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boredom/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [“Dikeledi could make no secret of the fact that, in relation to men, she often suffered from high blood pressure, except that the trouble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bessie-head/dikeledi-could-make-no-secret-of-the-fact-that-in-relation-to-men-she/)

[Bessie Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bessie-head/)

> [I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees: all times I have enjoyed Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-cannot-rest-from-travel-i-will-drink-life-to-the-lees-all-times-i-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Progressivism, in short, was to a very considerable extent led by men who suffered from the events of their time not through a shrinkage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hofstadter/progressivism-in-short-was-to-a-very-considerable-extent-led-by-men/)

[Richard Hofstadter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hofstadter/)

> [I felt beauty was a magnet for abuse, and I had suffered greatly for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-grier/i-felt-beauty-was-a-magnet-for-abuse-and-i-had-suffered-greatly-for-it/)

[Pam Grier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-grier/)

> [“These men suffered enough for a hundred lifetimes, and no one in this country should be allowed to forget it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hampton-sides/these-men-suffered-enough-for-a-hundred-lifetimes-and-no-one-in-this/)

[Hampton Sides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hampton-sides/)

> [You have suffered greatly, poor mother. Oh! do not lament, you have now the portion of the elect. It is in this way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/you-have-suffered-greatly-poor-mother-oh-do-not-lament-you-have-now/)

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

> [Effeminate men have suffered a bad press the world over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/effeminate-men-have-suffered-a-bad-press-the-world-over/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [I...have a woman in my arms who has suffered greatly and desperately needs to believe once again that she is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-have-a-woman-in-my-arms-who-has-suffered-greatly-and-desperately/)

[Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/)

> [When we skim along the surface of history we see little but the rough barren rocks that rise out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-william-hare/when-we-skim-along-the-surface-of-history-we-see-little-but-the-rough/)

[Augustus William Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-william-hare/)

> [Of history, how little do we know by personal contact; we have lived a few years, seen a few men, witnessed some important events;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-simpson/of-history-how-little-do-we-know-by-personal-contact-we-have-lived-a/)

[Matthew Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-simpson/)

> [History is little more than the story of man's sin, and the daily newspaper a running commentary on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/history-is-little-more-than-the-story-of-man-s-sin-and-the-daily/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [I really love history. When I was a little kid in Brazil, it was my favorite subject in school. I always did really well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-cavalera/i-really-love-history-when-i-was-a-little-kid-in-brazil-it-was-my/)

[Max Cavalera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-cavalera/)

> [The accumulation of facts, even if interesting in themselves, should not constitute the main part of education; these facts, whether they be of classical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lynch/the-accumulation-of-facts-even-if-interesting-in-themselves-should/)

[Arthur Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lynch/)

> [The voice of history is often little more than the organ of hatred or flattery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-voice-of-history-is-often-little-more-than-the-organ-of-hatred-or/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [“History is little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind." --- Edward Gibbon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sebag-montefiore/history-is-little-more-than-the-register-of-the-crimes-follies-and/)

[Simon Sebag Montefiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sebag-montefiore/)

## More by Seth Grahame-Smith

> [I think zombies have always been an easy metaphor for hard times. Because they're this big, faceless, brainless group of evil things that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/i-think-zombies-have-always-been-an-easy-metaphor-for-hard-times/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [put the car in "d" set the compass to "n" and get the "f"out of there](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/put-the-car-in-d-set-the-compass-to-n-and-get-the-f-out-of-there/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“I think common-looking people are the best in the world. That's why the Lord makes so many of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/i-think-common-looking-people-are-the-best-in-the-world-that-s-why/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [If you write really good material, the rest just falls into place. There's really no trick to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/if-you-write-really-good-material-the-rest-just-falls-into-place/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [No ninjas! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without any ninjas! I never heard of such a thing. Your mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/no-ninjas-how-was-that-possible-five-daughters-brought-up-at-home/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“Elisabeth and Darcy merely looked at one another in awkward silence, until the latter reached both arms around her. She was frozen. "What does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/elisabeth-and-darcy-merely-looked-at-one-another-in-awkward-silence/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“The one thing people loved more than an outlaw was seeing him punished.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/the-one-thing-people-loved-more-than-an-outlaw-was-seeing-him-punished/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“Minions of Satan don’t react well to the Eucharist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/minions-of-satan-don-t-react-well-to-the-eucharist/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“She remembered the lead ammunition in her pocket and offered it to him. 'Your balls, Mr. Darcey?'He reached out and closed her hand around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/she-remembered-the-lead-ammunition-in-her-pocket-and-offered-it-to/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“An empty theater is a promise unfulfilled.In a few hours, everything around him would be light and noise. Laughter and applause. Colorful people packed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/an-empty-theater-is-a-promise-unfulfilled-in-a-few-hours-everything/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“For every rod of wet bamboo upon the student's back, the teacher deserves two.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/for-every-rod-of-wet-bamboo-upon-the-student-s-back-the-teacher/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“Depart then, impious one! Depart, accursed one! Depart with all your deceits, for God has willed that man should be his temple!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/depart-then-impious-one-depart-accursed-one-depart-with-all-your/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [I want to be judged harshly because that forces me to really sit down and focus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/i-want-to-be-judged-harshly-because-that-forces-me-to-really-sit-down/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [If you're Stephen King and you have a massive body of huge-selling well-respected work, you can pivot and do whatever you want. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/if-you-re-stephen-king-and-you-have-a-massive-body-of-huge-selling/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

> [“Without death life is meaningless. It is a story that can never be told. A song that could never be sung. For how would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/without-death-life-is-meaningless-it-is-a-story-that-can-never-be/)

[Seth Grahame-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

[Explore all 169 Seth Grahame-Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/)

## More Blood quotes

> [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/)

[Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/)

> [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/)

[John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/)

> [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/)

[Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/)

> [Don't trust everyone, because one day you will shed tears of blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/don-t-trust-everyone-because-one-day-you-will-shed-tears-of-blood/)

[SunShine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/)

> [I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-even-my-blood-sugar-is-better-when-i/)

[Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/)

> [What about you three, where are you going?" Even before Halt answered, Will knew what he was going to say. But that didn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/what-about-you-three-where-are-you-going-even-before-halt-answered/)

[John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/)

> [A day without blood is like a day without sunshine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-lee-ermey/a-day-without-blood-is-like-a-day-without-sunshine/)

[R. Lee Ermey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-lee-ermey/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [“...I wore his blood for clothing, on my legs and thighs and hands: a dry, stiff, brown garment with no warmth in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-wore-his-blood-for-clothing-on-my-legs-and-thighs-and-hands-a-dry/)

[Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/)

> [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/)

[Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/)

> [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/)

[Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/)

> [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/)

[Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/)

> [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west blask-satin thunderheads continued to stack up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-sun-had-burned-through-and-the-day-had-gone-from-dull-to-dazzling/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

Browse all 6,234 Blood quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My men have suffered greatly (from boredom), much blood has been shed (by mosquitoes), and I have swung my ax mightily (chopping firewood). Surely we have earned our place in the annals of history—for never has there been so little war in a war.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Seth Grahame-Smith"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredom-much-blood-has-been-shed-by/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Blood"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredom-much-blood-has-been-shed-by/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb3/seth-grahame-smith-2321_blood_my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredo_1541958.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb3/seth-grahame-smith-2321_blood_my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredo_1541958.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb3/seth-grahame-smith-2321_blood_my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredo_1541958.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My men have suffered greatly (from boredom), much blood has been shed (by mosquitoes), and I have swung my…” — Seth Grahame-Smith",
                "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": "Seth Grahame-Smith",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-grahame-smith/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My men have suffered greatly (from...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredom-much-blood-has-been-shed-by/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-grahame-smith/my-men-have-suffered-greatly-from-boredom-much-blood-has-been-shed-by/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
