Ah if only this voice could stop, this meaningless voice which prevents you from being nothing, just barely prevents you from being nothing and nowhere, just enough to keep alight this little yellow flame feebly darting from side to side, panting, as if straining to tear itself from its wick, it should never have been lit, or it should never have been fed, or it should have been put out, put out, it should have been let go out.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A plea for silence, seeing the voice as a barrier to nothingness and peace.
- In plain terms
- This voice keeps me alive but I wish it would stop so I can be nothing.
- What can you take from it?
- Existence can feel like a burden to escape.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is silence better than noise?
- Why does being exist?
Another view
It frames life as only a flame to be extinguished.
More from Samuel Beckett
Bah, the latest news, the latest news is not the last.
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