Life is a jest; and all things show it. I thought so once; and now I know it.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker realized life is trivial and funny, a belief confirmed by experience.
- In plain terms
- I used to think life was serious, but now I know it is a joke.
- What can you take from it?
- Accept the absurdity of life.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is life a joke or serious?
- When did you lose your idealism?
Another view
It dismisses genuine suffering by calling life a joke.
More from John Gay
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