--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There ought, I thought, to be a ritual…" description: "\"There ought, I thought, to be a ritual for being born twice - patched, retreaded and approved for the road.\" — Sylvia Plath" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a49/sylvia-plath-149_born_there-ought-i-thought-to-be-a-ritual-for_2390926.jpg" --- # There ought, I thought, to be a ritual for being born… ![“There ought, I thought, to be a ritual for being born twice - patched, retreaded and approved for the road.” quote by Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a49/sylvia-plath-149_born_there-ought-i-thought-to-be-a-ritual-for_2390926.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a49/sylvia-plath-149_born_there-ought-i-thought-to-be-a-ritual-for_2390926.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a49/sylvia-plath-149_born_there-ought-i-thought-to-be-a-ritual-for_2390926.jpg) > “There ought, I thought, to be a ritual for being born twice - patched, retreaded and approved for the road.” [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A metaphorical call for personal renewal through deliberate, intentional transformation before facing life's challenges. **In simple terms:** Renew yourself deliberately before moving forward. Key Takeaway Embrace intentional self‑reconstruction. Themes renewal transformation self‑care resilience identity Mood hopeful reflective determined Type poetic inspirational motivational When to use this quote - career change - mental health recovery - creative projects - major life transitions - spiritual practice Key Concepts Ritual Metamorphosis Self‑Improvement Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of yourself need a fresh start? - How can you create a supportive ritual for change? A Different Perspective Renewal can be painful and may clash with external expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Born Twice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born-twice-1877828/) [Ritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritual/) [Ritual Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritual-born-5954705/) [Twice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twice/) [Twice Patched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twice-patched-5954706/) ## Related quotes > [I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-born-twice-first-as-a-baby-girl-on-a-remarkably-smogless/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [women are born twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/women-are-born-twice/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [If you are only born once, you will die twice. But if you are born twice, you will only die once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-j-lawson/if-you-are-only-born-once-you-will-die-twice-but-if-you-are-born/) [Steven J Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-j-lawson/) > [God has two families of children on this earth, the once-born and the twice-born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-has-two-families-of-children-on-this-earth-the-once-born-and-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If you have been born only once, you will have to die twice. But if you have been born twice, you will have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/if-you-have-been-born-only-once-you-will-have-to-die-twice-but-if-you/) [David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/) > [In a way, I was born twice. I was born in 1934 and again in 1955 when I came to Pittsburgh. I am thankful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/in-a-way-i-was-born-twice-i-was-born-in-1934-and-again-in-1955-when-i/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [It is not more surprising to be born twice than once; everything in nature is resurrection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-not-more-surprising-to-be-born-twice-than-once-everything-in/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“After all, it is no more surprising to me to be born twice than it is to be born once.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/after-all-it-is-no-more-surprising-to-me-to-be-born-twice-than-it-is/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [It's not any more unusual to be born twice than it is to be born once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-wylie-hubbard/it-s-not-any-more-unusual-to-be-born-twice-than-it-is-to-be-born-once/) [Ray Wylie Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-wylie-hubbard/) > [If you're born once, you die twice; but if you're born twice, you die once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-j-stewart/if-you-re-born-once-you-die-twice-but-if-you-re-born-twice-you-die/) [David J. Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-j-stewart/) > [“Take the matter of being born. What does being born mean to most people? Catastrophe unmitigated. Socialrevolution. The cultured aristocrat yanked out of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings/take-the-matter-of-being-born-what-does-being-born-mean-to-most/) [E. E. Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings/) > [Those born once will die twice and those born twice will die once](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-missler/those-born-once-will-die-twice-and-those-born-twice-will-die-once/) [Chuck Missler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-missler/) > [There are so many spiders, and their rituals, their mating rituals, their courtship ritual, can be very, very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/there-are-so-many-spiders-and-their-rituals-their-mating-rituals/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [Santa Claus has nothing to do with it," the latke said. "Christmas and Hanukah are completely different things." "But different things can often blend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/santa-claus-has-nothing-to-do-with-it-the-latke-said-christmas-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) ## More by Sylvia Plath > [“It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/it-was-a-queer-sultry-summer-the-summer-they-electrocuted-the/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I love life. But it is hard and I have so much, so very much to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-love-life-but-it-is-hard-and-i-have-so-much-so-very-much-to-learn/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [... These are my hands My knees. I may be skin and bone, Nevertheless, I am the same, identical woman. ... --Lady Lazarus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/these-are-my-hands-my-knees-i-may-be-skin-and-bone-nevertheless-i-am/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Sure, I’m dramatic and sloppily semi-cynical and semi-sentimental. But, in leisure years I could grow and choose my way. Now I am living on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/sure-i-m-dramatic-and-sloppily-semi-cynical-and-semi-sentimental-but/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“People were made of nothing so much as dust, and I couldn't see that doctoring all that dust was a bit better than writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/people-were-made-of-nothing-so-much-as-dust-and-i-couldn-t-see-that/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“I couldn't stand the idea of a woman having to have a single pure life and a man being able to have a double…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-couldn-t-stand-the-idea-of-a-woman-having-to-have-a-single-pure/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I saw the gooseflesh on my skin. I did not know what made it. I was not cold. Had a ghost passed over? No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-saw-the-gooseflesh-on-my-skin-i-did-not-know-what-made-it-i-was-not/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [I have to live my life, and it is the only one I’ll ever have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-have-to-live-my-life-and-it-is-the-only-one-i-ll-ever-have/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“The city had faded my tan, though. I looked yellow as a Chinaman. Ordinarily, I would have been nervous about my dress and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/the-city-had-faded-my-tan-though-i-looked-yellow-as-a-chinaman/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [Joy:show joy & enjoy: then others will be joyful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/joy-show-joy-enjoy-then-others-will-be-joyful/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [A million years of evolution, Eric said bitterly, and what are we? Animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/a-million-years-of-evolution-eric-said-bitterly-and-what-are-we/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“I have stitched life into me like a rare organ --from "Three Women: A Poem for Three Voices", written 1962”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-have-stitched-life-into-me-like-a-rare-organ-from-three-women-a/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [It is so much safer not to feel, not to let the world touch me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/it-is-so-much-safer-not-to-feel-not-to-let-the-world-touch-me/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“Flute Notes from a Reedy Pond" Now coldness comes sifting down, layer after layer, To our bower at the lily root. Overhead the old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/flute-notes-from-a-reedy-pond-now-coldness-comes-sifting-down-layer/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [“The most saddening thing is to admit that I am not in love. I can only love (if that means self denial - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/the-most-saddening-thing-is-to-admit-that-i-am-not-in-love-i-can-only/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) [Explore all 1,098 Sylvia Plath quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) ## More Born quotes > [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/) [Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/) > [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. 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I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/) [Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. 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