Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow—William Shakespeare
This poem is part of a weekly series dedicated to sharing classic poetry and beloved poems. For more articles, videos, books, and resources about faith and art, visit RabbitRoom.com.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
by William Shakespeare
(from Macbeth, spoken by Macbeth)
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.
This is one of the first pieces of Shakespeare I was exposed to, via Mr. K*A*P*L*A*N*. It holds a special memory for me, and I can't help but read it in an eastern European accent and imagine "Julius Scissor" in his tent. I later read MacBeth to get the context, but in my mind, this forever belongs to K*A*P*L*A*N*. Very fun selection!
I've always loved these lines for the truth and the sort of caution they hold.