Wilted stem and fresh apricot bloom in a low cracked vase, with drooping buds, leaves and fallen petals

Original artwork, not a still

H. L. Mencken

A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A cynic, in this saying, is someone whose reflex on catching the scent of flowers is to search for a coffin. It mocks the habit of expecting death or disappointment behind every pleasure, so that even something lovely becomes a reason for gloomy suspicion.

Context reviewed

Share this quote