"When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language"
- John Donne
About this Quote
John Donne's quote talks with the idea of life and also death becoming part of a larger cycle. He recommends that when someone dies, they are not erased from presence, but instead their life is converted right into a much better language. This can suggest that the individual's life is loved and celebrated, or that their tradition survives on somehow. It might likewise mean that the individual's life is transformed right into something greater, such as a spiritual trip or a brand-new understanding of life. The quote suggests that death is not the end, yet instead a new beginning. It is a pointer that life is priceless and must be cherished, and that fatality is not the end of a person's tale. It is a pointer that life is a trip, and that even after death, the journey continues.