Our birth is nothing but our death begun

Our birth is nothing but our death begun

Edward Young was an English poet and playwright who is best known for his work "Night Thoughts," a series of poems that explore the themes of life, death, and the afterlife. One of the most famous lines from this work is "Our birth is nothing but our death begun," which encapsulates the idea that from the moment we are born, we are on a path towards our eventual demise.

This line reflects Young's preoccupation with the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death. He believed that life is a journey towards death, and that our birth is just the beginning of this journey. This idea is echoed throughout his work, as he explores the themes of mortality, the passage of time, and the transience of human existence.

Young's work is often characterized by its dark and melancholic tone, as he grapples with the existential questions that have plagued humanity for centuries. He delves into the nature of life and death, and the mysteries of the afterlife, seeking to find meaning in the face of mortality.

"Our birth is nothing but our death begun" can be interpreted in a number of ways. On one level, it can be seen as a reminder of the impermanence of life, and the fact that death is an inevitable part of the human experience. It can also be seen as a call to live life to the fullest, knowing that our time on this earth is limited.