"Shadow owes its birth to light"

John Gay's quote "Shadow owes its birth to light" is a metaphor for the concept that darkness and light are linked and dependent on each other. The quote suggests that without light, there would be no shadow, and without shadow, there would be no light. This concept can be used to many aspects of life, such as the idea that without sadness, there can be no pleasure, or without failure, there can be no success. The quote also implies that the 2 forces of light and darkness are inextricably connected, and that one can not exist without the other. This concept can be seen in the natural world, where the sun and moon are both required for life to exist. The quote is a pointer that both light and darkness are required for life, and that one need to not be feared or rejected in favor of the other.