To it again, nobody COMES

Meaning & Analysis

A direct encouragement to resume a task, emphasizing that no one is coming to watch, help, or interrupt, implying a state of solitude.

Insights

Perseverance in Obscurity

Encourages persistent effort even without an audience or external validation, emphasizing the importance of intrinsic motivation and the virtue of working diligently in private.

Self-Reliance

Acts as a call to action, urging reliance on one's own discipline to continue work without expecting outside help or supervision. It champions a rugged sense of self-sufficiency.

Seizing an Unwatched Moment

Can be interpreted as advice to take advantage of a private moment to repeat an action, practice a skill, or fix a mistake without the pressure or judgment of scrutiny from others.

Intrinsic Motivation

Psychologically, the proverb champions intrinsic motivation over extrinsic rewards, highlighting the value of working for personal satisfaction rather than for public praise.

The Solitary Worker

Culturally, it reflects the reality of many traditional forms of labor—from farming to craftsmanship—where tasks are often performed alone, requiring sustained, unobserved effort.

A Counter-Cultural Reminder

In a modern context of constant connectivity and performance, the proverb serves as a reminder of the value of private effort and the virtue of doing things for their own sake, not for an audience.

Rhetorical Devices

Imperative Mood

The command "To it again" creates a forceful, direct, and motivational tone, urging immediate action.

Juxtaposition

The phrase contrasts the call to action ("To it again") with the state of being unwatched ("nobody COMES"), highlighting the solitary nature of the effort.

Brevity

Its concise and punchy structure makes the proverb highly memorable and impactful, functioning as a sharp, internal command.

perseverancesolitudeself-reliancemotivationdisciplineprivacy
Analyzed with gemini-2.5-pro on July 25, 2025

Transcription

Quotations

1639, CL., p. 393
1670, RAY, p. 197
1672, WALK., 62, p. 53

Original Scan

To it again, nobody COMES - a scanned entry from Tilley's 1950 Dictionary of Proverbs.
Scan courtesy of HathiTrust Digital Library.
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.

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Last updated: January 27, 2026