Share & Save
Meaning
It reads as a private standard for dignity, not a grand claim of success. The line points to the need to feel that a life has had some use, even if that judgment is measured only from within, and it can land for someone looking back after a hard year and asking whether anything they did mattered.
When It Was Said
Not documented yet.
Who It Was Said To
Not documented yet.
Historical Context
Not documented yet.
Source
Not documented yet.
Original Language & Translation
Originally said in English.
Did They Really Say It?
Not documented yet.
Did You Know?
Not documented yet.
About Charles Bukowski
German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer
Charles Bukowski was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. He became closely associated with Los Angeles, the city he made his home, and his work reflects that setting and its pressures. His writing focuses on the lives of poor Americans, the act of writing, alcohol, relationships with women, and the grind of work. He wrote with direct attention to everyday hardship and the conditions that shaped it.
More from Charles Bukowski (353 quotes) →Other sayings from Charles Bukowski
- “alone with everybody the flesh covers the bone and they put a mind in there and sometimes a soul,and the wome…”Charles Bukowski
- “If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it. Any other…”Charles Bukowski
- “It's all overrated, man. Sex is only a great thing if you're not getting any.”Charles Bukowski
- “the gods play nofavorites.”Charles Bukowski
Reflections: more sayings
- “Understanding the principles of reproduction is to multiply”Sunday Adelaja
- “I put my diet chart aside when I am in MP! Be it poha, jalebi, daal baafla, or namkeen, I always make sure th…”Sriti Jha
- “Why anybody gets my sense of humor I never know, but I do know that when they do, I keep them as close as I p…”Joss Whedon
READ THE SOURCE
Books by Charles Bukowski
Pulp
2007
Women
2009
Ham on Rye
2001
Bone palace ballet
2002
Factotum
2009