--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: «Like a fossil tree From which we gather…" description: "\"“«Like a fossil tree From which we gather no flowers Sad has been my life Fated no fruit to produce.» Death poem composed by Minamoto Yorimasa immediat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/stephen-turnbull-279781_death_like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather_62634.jpg" --- # «Like a fossil tree From which we gather no flowers Sad… ![“«Like a fossil tree From which we gather no flowers Sad has been my life Fated no fruit to produce.» Death poem composed by Minamoto Yorimasa immediately before his act of seppuku in the Byodo-in temple of Uji.” quote by Stephen Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/stephen-turnbull-279781_death_like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather_62634.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/stephen-turnbull-279781_death_like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather_62634.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/stephen-turnbull-279781_death_like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather_62634.jpg) > ““«Like a fossil tree From which we gather no flowers Sad has been my life Fated no fruit to produce.» Death poem composed by Minamoto Yorimasa immediately before his act of seppuku in the Byodo-in temple of Uji.”” Stephen Turnbull ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A samurai poet laments a barren life, using a fossil tree metaphor to express loss and unfulfilled destiny before his ritual suicide **In simple terms:** The poem reflects on a lifeless existence and inevitable death, likening it to a dead tree without fruit Key Takeaway Contemplate life’s purpose and accept mortality Themes death poetry samurai existential fate Mood somber reflective Type poetic historical When to use this quote - literary analysis - historical study - philosophical reflection - creative writing Key Concepts nihilism cultural history ritual suicide Questions to Reflect On - How does cultural context shape the poem’s meaning? - What can we learn about confronting mortality from this work? A Different Perspective The poetic language may be obscure for modern readers without context ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-fate/) [Poem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem/) [Samurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/samurai/) ## Related quotes > [My mentality is that of a samurai. I would rather commit seppuku than fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/my-mentality-is-that-of-a-samurai-i-would-rather-commit-seppuku-than/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [“At times because of one man’s evil, ten thousand people suffer. 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I thought, What a cute name for a coat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexa-doig/seppuku-is-japanese-for-ritual-suicide-i-thought-what-a-cute-name-for/) [Lexa Doig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexa-doig/) > [“The salamanders, like tiny birds, locked into formation, fly down into the endless mysteries of the transforming water, and how could anyone believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/the-salamanders-like-tiny-birds-locked-into-formation-fly-down-into/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [Every moment of life is the last, every poem is a death poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matsuo-basho/every-moment-of-life-is-the-last-every-poem-is-a-death-poem/) [Matsuo Basho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matsuo-basho/) > [“Fate is an excuse, a way to remove blame and therefore guilt for poor decision making. 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Wright Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-wright-mills/) > [“..and perhaps by something more; because, in my life, fate has never been unwilling to lend a hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/and-perhaps-by-something-more-because-in-my-life-fate-has-never-been/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/until-you-make-the-unconscious-conscious-it-will-direct-your-life-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Every time I had dared to hope for something in my life, it seemed that fate, like a small, angry child, went out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/every-time-i-had-dared-to-hope-for-something-in-my-life-it-seemed/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [You can work hard, do everything that you think is right, but one thing you'll never overcome in life is fate. You can't control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-petty/you-can-work-hard-do-everything-that-you-think-is-right-but-one-thing/) [Richard Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-petty/) ## 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. 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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": "“«Like a fossil tree From which we gather no flowers Sad has been my life Fated no fruit to produce.» Death poem composed by Minamoto Yorimasa immediately before his act of seppuku in the Byodo-in temple of Uji.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Turnbull" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-turnbull/like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather-no-flowers-sad-has-been-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-turnbull/like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather-no-flowers-sad-has-been-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/stephen-turnbull-279781_death_like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather_62634.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/stephen-turnbull-279781_death_like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather_62634.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/729/stephen-turnbull-279781_death_like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather_62634.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“«Like a fossil tree From which we gather no flowers Sad has been my life Fated no fruit to produce.» Death…” — Stephen Turnbull", "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": "Stephen Turnbull", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-turnbull/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“«Like a fossil tree From which...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-turnbull/like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather-no-flowers-sad-has-been-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-turnbull/like-a-fossil-tree-from-which-we-gather-no-flowers-sad-has-been-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 } } ] } ```