What is the quote saying?

Question

"My candle burns at both ends.
It will not last the light
But, oh, my foes, and oh, my friends--
It gives a lovely light."

Answer 1

This is by Edna St. Vincent Millay and it was written in the 1920's. (exactly 1920 if I recall correctly)

This poem sums up the attitude and lifestyle of many people during the 1920's. The attitude of having fun, dancing, drinking (during Prohibition no less) and enjoying Jazz were just a few of the reasons that it is referred to as the Roaring Twenties. This attitude can be found again in the writings of other writers from the 1920's, most evident in the writings of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

What the author is saying is that she is playing hard and living hard (burning the candle at both ends) and knows that this hard living will lead to a shorter life. The author also realizes that the trade-off for this is a life that is fun and lively. (gives a lovely light).

I think the poem has been summed up crudely on t-shirts with the slogan:
Live hard, die young, and leave a good lookin' corpse

Answer 2

To burn your candle at both ends means to be expending yourself to the limit, pushing yourself as hard as you can to the point of exhaustion. In this instance, the length of the candle represent how much energy/life a person has. Burning the candle at both ends means to make it burn brighter (two fires burning vs one) but for a shorter period of time. This is what is meant by "it will not last the light." The "lovely light" is basically the end result of going above and beyond what was necessary. But the key point is that it is unnecessary to burn a candle at both ends since the added light, although beneficial, makes the duration of light shorter...unless the whole point was to "go out in a blaze of glory" and create the biggest spectacle possible.

I heard of other similar quotes such as, "The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long." It pretty much means the same thing.

Answer 3

"Give all that you have, energy, enthusiasm, love, sicerity....everything, to the task in hand, to the merriment, if that is want engages you, claims your attention and efforts: try to do a complete job, not half-hearted, then your joy, that moment of fulfillment, may not last very long, but in that little time when you go heart and soul into that activity, you shine, you do very very well, you are lustrous and beautiful in your efforts, --- and, you do all that you choose to do that way, for everyone's sake, for friends, for the no-so-friendly, for everyone, without reservations, for humanity........or, in short, the candle burns away, both ends ablaze, and will burn out soon, but while it burns, it gives out bright, lovely light! (watch the young artistes and champion players in all games and sports (tennis, ball, cricket et al), they all burn out too soon perhaps, but they play really well, they do well, while they are out there, playing, doing!) Don't worry that life is short, live the short life well, play your role well, and you will do well!

Answer 4

I think that this quote means that good things don't last forever, because it is saying "it gives a lovely light." but before that it says "It will not last the night." therefore i conclude that it is good, but will not last forever.

Answer 5

If your doing too much you have no energy left
Having enemy at one end demanding thing and friend at the other end demanding time.

Answer 6

i THINK its saying... "im a good person and sometimes that makes me suffer, but knowing that i am that good person willing to suffer for my friends OR my foes makes me feel special."
this is like a really stupid assumption, but i think its what it means

Answer 7

I think you mean it will not last the night.