Quote by Andreas Gryphius: “All is vanity! What we behold is naught.”

Gryphius profoundly expresses a sense of the ephemeral and meaningless nature of worldly existence. He conveys that all earthly possessions and human endeavors are ultimately fleeting and without lasting substance.

This line, from his famous sonnet 'Es ist alles eitel' (All is Vanity), encapsulates the Baroque 'memento mori' theme. Written in the aftermath of the devastating Thirty Years' War, Gryphius reflects on the destruction and transience of human life and achievements.

German Baroque poet and playwright whose work was shaped by the devastation of the Thirty Years' War. His sonnets are among the finest in the German language, combining intense religious feeling with a preoccupation with transience, death, and the futility of earthly ambition.