Meaning & Analysis
Pleasurable or joyful experiences are often followed by pain or sorrow, suggesting that happiness and suffering tend to alternate in the course of human life.
Insights
Cyclical Nature of Life
The proverb symbolizes the recurring cycle between joy and sorrow that characterizes human existence. It suggests that moments of happiness are inevitably succeeded by moments of hardship, underscoring the transient nature of both pleasure and pain.
Inevitability of Loss
It reflects the philosophical idea that pleasure inherently contains the seeds of future pain. The anticipation or memory of loss haunts even the happiest moments, instilling a bittersweet quality in all experiences.
Caution Against Excess
The saying serves as a cautionary reminder that the pursuit or indulgence of pleasure can lead to sorrow, warning against hedonism and encouraging moderation and foresight.
Historical Symbolism
The pattern of pleasure followed by pain appears in numerous historical and literary sources—from classical antiquity to the Renaissance—reflecting ancient philosophical and religious teachings on the impermanence of worldly joys. This motif echoes in Stoic, Christian, and Eastern philosophies alike, all cautioning that the heights of joy are precarious and often preludes to decline.
Literary and Cultural Resonance
The proverb resonates widely in literature, appearing in works by Barclay, Mabbe, and other early modern writers, as well as being thematically akin to proverbs such as 'There is no pleasure without pain' and 'After a storm comes a calm.' This shared motif across cultures and centuries testifies to a universal recognition of life's alternating fortunes.
Psychological Dimensions
Psychologically, the proverb reflects the human tendency toward hedonic adaptation: intense pleasure raises expectations, and subsequent returns to normality or setbacks are felt as keen losses. It also points to the emotional cost of attachment, as those who invest deeply in joy risk proportionate sorrow when circumstances change.
Rhetorical Devices
Antithesis
The proverb relies on the stark juxtaposition of 'pleasure' and 'pain,' using their opposition to create a memorable, resonant truth about life's fluctuations.
Parallelism
The balanced structure—'after X comes Y'—lends the proverb rhythmic clarity, reinforcing its didactic and universal character.
Alliteration
The recurrence of 'p' sounds in 'pleasure' and 'pain' (or 'joy' and 'sorrow' in some variants) adds a subtle musicality that aids memorability.
Temporal Imagery
By evoking succession in time ('after'), the proverb creates a vivid sense of inevitability and progression, suggesting the relentless march of emotional seasons.
Transcription
Quotations
After the day cometh the nyght So after pleasour comys payne.
For as it is in the proverb, after joy comes sorrow.
After joy, follows sadness.
Cross References
- See DüR., I, no. 493.
- P420 There is no pleasure without pain
- S908 After a storm comes a calm (fair weather).
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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