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Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.
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“Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.”

Ambrose Bierce

Source
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Date
1890
Meaning

Meaning of “Death is a dignitary who when he comes…”

Bierce’s narrator describes the rigid military ceremony around an execution, using formal language to make the scene feel colder and more unsettling.

Source context

Where does it come from?

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” represented by Project Gutenberg #375. The sentence is narrator commentary immediately before Peyton Farquhar’s execution; it belongs to Civil War fiction and does not endorse the killing.

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Themes

Ideas connected with this quotation

Courage Quotes About Acting Despite FearDeepInspirational Quotes About Hope, Courage & PossibilityLifeMotivation For LifeThought-Provoking Quotes That Invite ReflectionDeathWisdom About Life
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Source details

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Live all you can; it’s a mistake not to. It doesn’t so much matter what you do in particular so long as you have your life.
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Source details

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Procrastination is the thief of time;
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“Procrastination is the thief of time;”

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Young personifies procrastination as something that steadily steals finite time while people postpone decisions and assume future opportunities will remain available.

Source details

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“In Wildness is the preservation of the World.”

Henry David Thoreau · Walking · 1862
Meaning & context

Wild nature is presented not as useless space but as a preserving force for imagination, freedom, and human flourishing.

Source details

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Nothing noble can be performed without danger.
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“Nothing noble can be performed without danger.”

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Meaning & context

Avoiding every danger can also prevent worthy action; prudence needs to distinguish reckless exposure from risks that meaningful conduct sometimes requires.

Source details

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