---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Clocks slay time... time is dead as long…"
description: "\"Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.\" — William Faul..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/william-faulkner-306_clock_clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as_2984679.png"
---

#  Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being…

![“Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.” quote by William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/william-faulkner-306_clock_clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as_2984679.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/william-faulkner-306_clock_clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as_2984679.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/william-faulkner-306_clock_clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as_2984679.png)

> “Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.”

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

## About This Quote

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

The passage suggests that time feels stagnant when measured mechanically, but only when we stop counting does it become alive and meaningful.

**In simple terms:** Time seems dead when constantly measured; it lives when we pause.

Key Takeaway

Pause and be present to experience time fully.

Themes

time presence mindfulness

Mood

contemplative poetic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- meditation
- creative work
- daily routines
- stress relief

Key Concepts

perception existence tempo

Questions to Reflect On

- How does constant time‑tracking affect your life?
- What does “time comes to life” mean to you?

A Different Perspective

If you focus on the clock, you miss the moment.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wasting time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasting-time/)

## Related quotes

> [“And so I told myself to take that one. Because Father said clocks slay time. He said time is dead as long as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/and-so-i-told-myself-to-take-that-one-because-father-said-clocks-slay/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“Because Father said clocks slay time. He said time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/because-father-said-clocks-slay-time-he-said-time-is-dead-as-long-as/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [Only when the clock stops does time come to life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/only-when-the-clock-stops-does-time-come-to-life/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [I get money to kill time/ Dead clocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/i-get-money-to-kill-time-dead-clocks/)

[Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/)

> [“Do days exist without calendars? Does time pass when there are no human hands left to wind the clocks?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-koch/do-days-exist-without-calendars-does-time-pass-when-there-are-no/)

Howard Koch

> [You were always my girl but you're wasting time on him. I wish I could turn back the clocks to when you still had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-were-always-my-girl-but-you-re-wasting-time-on-him-i-wish-i-could/)

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

> [You only live a short time... and you are dead a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-huizinga/you-only-live-a-short-time-and-you-are-dead-a-long-time/)

[Johan Huizinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-huizinga/)

> [There will come a time, when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time when there are no human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-will-come-a-time-when-all-of-us-are-dead-all-of-us-there-will/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [It is time for me to be dead for a little while - and then live again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/it-is-time-for-me-to-be-dead-for-a-little-while-and-then-live-again/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [Enjoy every minute. There's plenty of time to be dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/enjoy-every-minute-there-s-plenty-of-time-to-be-dead/)

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

> [“Yes, it is time I was dead; there is nothing left me to do but to die. I am no good in the world;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/yes-it-is-time-i-was-dead-there-is-nothing-left-me-to-do-but-to-die-i/)

[Honoré de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/)

> [It is time for dead languages to keep quiet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-clifford-barney/it-is-time-for-dead-languages-to-keep-quiet/)

[Natalie Clifford Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-clifford-barney/)

> [What is any achievement, however great it was, once time itself is dead?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-any-achievement-however-great-it-was-once-time-itself-is-dead/)

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

> [“All old building become crypts the moment they're finished, A shrine to a time that's already dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-sutherland/all-old-building-become-crypts-the-moment-they-re-finished-a-shrine/)

[Krystal Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-sutherland/)

> [“You're a long time dead. So do it NOW!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-evans/you-re-a-long-time-dead-so-do-it-now/)

Geraldine Evans

## More by William Faulkner

> [“The river itself is not a hundred yards across, and pa and Vernon and Vardaman and Dewey Dell are the only things in sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-river-itself-is-not-a-hundred-yards-across-and-pa-and-vernon-and/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/the-quality-an-artist-must-have-is-objectivity-in-judging-his-work/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“Luster returned, wearing a stiff new straw hat with a colored band and carrying a cloth cap. The hat seemed to isolate Luster's skull,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/luster-returned-wearing-a-stiff-new-straw-hat-with-a-colored-band-and/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-is-easy-enough-to-say-that-man-is-immortal-simply-because-he-will/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“What matters is at the end of life, when you're about to pass into oblivion, that you've at least scratched 'Kilroy was here,' on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-matters-is-at-the-end-of-life-when-you-re-about-to-pass-into/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [I've got to feel the pencil and see the words at the end of the pencil,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-ve-got-to-feel-the-pencil-and-see-the-words-at-the-end-of-the-pencil/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [And sure enough, even waiting will end...if you can just wait long enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/and-sure-enough-even-waiting-will-end-if-you-can-just-wait-long-enough/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/i-believe-that-man-will-not-merely-endure-he-will-prevail-he-is/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/never-be-afraid-to-raise-your-voice-for-honesty-and-truth-and/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/to-understand-the-world-you-must-first-understand-a-place-like/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“What modren ideas?” pap said. “I didn’t know there was but one idea about work—until it is done, it ain’t done, and when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-modren-ideas-pap-said-i-didn-t-know-there-was-but-one-idea-about/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“It was only as he put his hand on the door that he became aware of complete silence beyond it, a silence which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-only-as-he-put-his-hand-on-the-door-that-he-became-aware-of/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“She has no mother because fatherblood hates with love and pride, but motherblood with hate loves and cohabits.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/she-has-no-mother-because-fatherblood-hates-with-love-and-pride-but/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“Byron listened quietly, thinking to himself how people everywhere are about the same, but that it did seem that in a small town, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/byron-listened-quietly-thinking-to-himself-how-people-everywhere-are/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

> [“It was too late. Maybe yesterday, while I was still a child, but not now. I knew too much, had seen too much, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/it-was-too-late-maybe-yesterday-while-i-was-still-a-child-but-not-now/)

[William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

[Explore all 673 William Faulkner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/)

## More Clock quotes

> [Even Einstein had to rely for his time on his clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/even-einstein-had-to-rely-for-his-time-on-his-clock/)

[Stanislaw Jerzy Lec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanislaw-jerzy-lec/)

> [“Time was never neutral and often felt dangerous. We either think we have all the time in the world or time moves too fast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-reay/time-was-never-neutral-and-often-felt-dangerous-we-either-think-we/)

[Katherine Reay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-reay/)

> [Before a clock was in the tower, Or e'er a watch was worn; I knew of night the passing hour, And prophesied the morn;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/before-a-clock-was-in-the-tower-or-e-er-a-watch-was-worn-i-knew-of/)

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

> [A clock struck out the hour of twelve, and the bird in the hedgerow was still singing as we marched out to the roadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macgill/a-clock-struck-out-the-hour-of-twelve-and-the-bird-in-the-hedgerow/)

[Patrick MacGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macgill/)

> [“Time is, to put it in its most impressive and some might say poncy-sounding form, my domain. I can see things that once happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-rayner/time-is-to-put-it-in-its-most-impressive-and-some-might-say-poncy/)

[Jacqueline Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-rayner/)

> [Time travel offends our sense of cause and effect - but maybe the universe doesn't insist on cause and effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-m-lerner/time-travel-offends-our-sense-of-cause-and-effect-but-maybe-the/)

[Edward M. Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-m-lerner/)

> [My only aim is to clock a time that everyone remembers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hima-das/my-only-aim-is-to-clock-a-time-that-everyone-remembers/)

[Hima Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hima-das/)

> [Time.The greatest creator, and the worst destroyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-keely/time-the-greatest-creator-and-the-worst-destroyer/)

Levi Keely

> [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/)

[Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/)

> [No life goes past so swiftly as an eventless one, no clock spins like a clock whose days are all alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/no-life-goes-past-so-swiftly-as-an-eventless-one-no-clock-spins-like/)

[Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/)

> [Those who stop marketing to save money are like those who stop a clock to save time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/those-who-stop-marketing-to-save-money-are-like-those-who-stop-a/)

[Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/)

> [Time is the nervous system of narration, whether factual or fictive. If it gets confused some of the minutiae of human nature are certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenway-wescott/time-is-the-nervous-system-of-narration-whether-factual-or-fictive-if/)

[Glenway Wescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenway-wescott/)

> [I don't know if it's just me or everyone, but the whole vibe with skiing is not so much thriving on competition against others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/picabo-street/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-just-me-or-everyone-but-the-whole-vibe-with/)

[Picabo Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/picabo-street/)

> [Time goes on, even when yer not looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/time-goes-on-even-when-yer-not-looking/)

[Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/)

> [CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/clock-n-a-machine-of-great-moral-value-to-man-allaying-his-concern/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

[Browse all 2,738 Clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Faulkner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as-it-is-being-clicked-off-by/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Clock"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as-it-is-being-clicked-off-by/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/william-faulkner-306_clock_clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as_2984679.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/william-faulkner-306_clock_clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as_2984679.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/william-faulkner-306_clock_clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as_2984679.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock…” — William Faulkner",
                "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": "William Faulkner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Clocks slay time... time is dead...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as-it-is-being-clicked-off-by/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/clocks-slay-time-time-is-dead-as-long-as-it-is-being-clicked-off-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
