A halved purple onion on a white enamel plate with a single water droplet and a small knife blade.

Original artwork, not a still

Carl Sandburg

Life is like an onion: You peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Life is compared to an onion because you get through it in layers, one at a time, and the process can bring tears. The comparison is playful but honest: understanding or experience comes gradually, and uncovering it isn't always painless.

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