'Oh, sharper than a brief candle it is to bury a thankless child!'

Parting is such a brief candle.

But she was mortal, a brief candle, a butterfly, a bright burst of fireworks-lovely, warm, and exciting-but ephemeral.

He reaches a crescendo when he begins to cross-quote Shakespeare, leaping from "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" to "out, out brief candle."

"Goodbye, goodbye, parting is such a brief candle," said Goddam.

Reed starts quoting Shakespeare, "Out, out, brief candle", dramatically reciting Lady Macbeth's monologue.

"Life's brief candle, a moment in the dark / laid down beneath the blade of sound."

Out, out brief candle.

Days on this earth are short, a "brief candle" and an ignorant march towards a fruitless demise, "lighted fools. . . to dusty death."

But she was mortal, a brief candle, a butterfly, a bright burst of fireworks - lovely, warm, and exciting - but ephemeral.