--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These Things I've Done (Part 1) I have…" description: "\"“These Things I've Done (Part 1) I have emptied the cup that overflowes, From the garden clipped the finest rose... Interrupted the poet with my praise..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/woody-johnson-108395_children_these-things-i-ve-done-part-1-i-have-emp_1728521.jpg" --- # These Things I've Done (Part 1) I have emptied the cup… ![“These Things I've Done (Part 1) I have emptied the cup that overflowes, From the garden clipped the finest rose... Interrupted the poet with my praise, Smothered butterflies - Then pinned them in collector's trays... Made the silent initiate shout in frustration, Brought a child to tears with my…” quote by Woody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/woody-johnson-108395_children_these-things-i-ve-done-part-1-i-have-emp_1728521.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/woody-johnson-108395_children_these-things-i-ve-done-part-1-i-have-emp_1728521.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25e/woody-johnson-108395_children_these-things-i-ve-done-part-1-i-have-emp_1728521.jpg) > ““These Things I've Done (Part 1) I have emptied the cup that overflowes, From the garden clipped the finest rose... Interrupted the poet with my praise, Smothered butterflies - Then pinned them in collector's trays... Made the silent initiate shout in frustration, Brought a child to tears with my intonation... These Things I've Done (Part ll) I have drunk the last of the rationed water; And struck the last match to light a cigar; Thrown the baby out with the bath; And didn't bother to check my math... I didn't look - I just leapt, And just like Sagittarius - Aiming right, looking left - Gazed at stars, at the mercy of puddles: Deep in quicksand, I struggled... These Things I've Done (Part lll) I've accepted the fact that einmal ist keinmal, And disregarded the family motto: Did the things that one ought not to: Again, once more, y a infinito... "Yes, I've done these things," said I. "Well - you should be an addict - why! - "At the very least, dead! "None should bear those things you carry..." or, So the doctor said.”” [Woody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker recounts destructive, reckless actions, reflecting on guilt and self-awareness. **In simple terms:** The narrator lists harmful deeds and reflects on them. Key Takeaway Recognize harmful patterns and seek change. Themes self‑destruction guilt reflection consequences addiction Mood introspective somber confessional Type Children:1 Poetry:1 Things Ve:0 Things Said:0 Did Things:0 Ve Emptied:0 Motto Did:0 When to use this quote - personal confession - creative writing - self‑analysis Key Concepts psychology oral reckoning existential crisis Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to repeat harmful actions? - How can you break this cycle? A Different Perspective Self‑destructive behavior can be rationalized; change may be painful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Did Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-things/) [Motto Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motto-did-1406732/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Things Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-said/) [Things Ve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-ve/) [Ve Emptied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-emptied-1406731/) ## Related quotes > ['Stay with it' was our coach's motto. That's what we did. This is unreal!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/stay-with-it-was-our-coach-s-motto-that-s-what-we-did-this-is-unreal/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [Ronaldinho did things that I've never seen anyone do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deco/ronaldinho-did-things-that-i-ve-never-seen-anyone-do/) [Deco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deco/) > [I'm very romantic. I've emptied flower shops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hoskins/i-m-very-romantic-i-ve-emptied-flower-shops/) [Bob Hoskins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hoskins/) > [“Too Busy I've folded all my laundry and put it in the drawer. I've changed my linen, made my bed, and swept my bedroom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lansky/too-busy-i-ve-folded-all-my-laundry-and-put-it-in-the-drawer-i-ve/) [Bruce Lansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lansky/) > [“guilt comes to you not from the things you’ve done, but from the things that others have done to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/guilt-comes-to-you-not-from-the-things-you-ve-done-but-from-the/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [The things I've ventured into have always been ahead of time!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poonam-dhillon/the-things-i-ve-ventured-into-have-always-been-ahead-of-time/) [Poonam Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poonam-dhillon/) > [Why should I keep doing things that I've done before?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/why-should-i-keep-doing-things-that-i-ve-done-before/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [Creativity is a compilation of things we've seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wong/creativity-is-a-compilation-of-things-we-ve-seen/) [Brian Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wong/) > [I suppose all the things I've done have been different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-boorman/i-suppose-all-the-things-i-ve-done-have-been-different/) [Charley Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-boorman/) > [There's a whole lot of things that I've got to do to get myself better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-edelman/there-s-a-whole-lot-of-things-that-i-ve-got-to-do-to-get-myself-better/) [Julian Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-edelman/) > [I don't sit and watch things back that I've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-bowman/i-don-t-sit-and-watch-things-back-that-i-ve-done/) [Edith Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-bowman/) > [I like nice things. I've always had nice things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbi-benton/i-like-nice-things-i-ve-always-had-nice-things/) [Barbi Benton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbi-benton/) > [Out of all these things I've done I will love you better now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-sheeran/out-of-all-these-things-i-ve-done-i-will-love-you-better-now/) [Ed Sheeran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-sheeran/) > [I never really try to watch the movie of the things I've been in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-never-really-try-to-watch-the-movie-of-the-things-i-ve-been-in/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [It hurt, of course, but more often than not the best things do, I've found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/it-hurt-of-course-but-more-often-than-not-the-best-things-do-i-ve/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by Woody Johnson > [“The Non-ist I am anti: I descend when others clamber up: Formally attired when others are not; I un-imbibe while others sip At parties,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-johnson/the-non-ist-i-am-anti-i-descend-when-others-clamber-up-formally/) [Woody Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-johnson/) [Explore all 2 Woody Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-johnson/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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