Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Ender Dragon Portal in Minecraft
Screenshot by Gamepur

What does the Minecraft End Poem mean? Answered

The End of Minecraft is far from the end.

After the roughly half-hour-long credit sequence after defeating the Ender Dragon in Minecraft, the player is met with a poem from an American author H. Jackson Brown Jr., before being sent back into their world. For those who have not seen or missed it, the poetic quote reads, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” While much about Minecraft’s credit sequence is up for interpretation, this poem is likely the most debatable regarding its true meaning.

Recommended Videos

Related: How to use spectator mode in Minecraft Bedrock

Explaining the End Poem in Minecraft Credits

Minecraft Credits Sequence
Screenshot by Gamepur

Determining what the End Poem means for any given player is not easy. After all, over a hundred million individuals from all walks of life have played this globally renowned survival crafting sandbox experience. Therefore, we will examine the poem’s context from the person it was written by, Horace Brown Jr.

For reference, Brown has written inspirational books like A Father’s Book of WisdomLife’s Little Instruction BookLife’s Little Treasure Book on Simple Pleasures, and Live and Learn and Pass It On. From the names of these titles, it is not hard to comprehend the core concepts from which he wrote the poem appearing in the Minecraft credits after the Ender Dragon has been slain. Whether it is 10, 20, or 30 years from now, you will likely regret activities, goals, or relationships that you missed out on, especially those that were in your power to experience

Related: How to get purple dye in Minecraft

Minecraft End Poem
Screenshot by Gamepur

To avoid this “life trap” of missing out on memories that you could have had, Brown instructs readers of the Minecraft End Poem to release whatever is holding them back and let inner instinct, creativity, and imagination guide them to where they should go. Of course, you could take this literally as going outside and “exploring life,” but as a mainly inspirational work-based author, Brown likely meant the End Poem in a mental, emotional, or even spiritual sense. 

As we mentioned above, how you interpret the Minecraft End Poem will be unique to you as an individual. Those with different cultural, ethnic, or religious backgrounds will see the quote through the eyes of their personal lifestyle. However, suppose we combine the context of Brown as an inspirational author and the everchanging sandbox experience of Minecraft. In that case, it is not too farfetched to say that the true meaning of Minecraft End Poem is to enjoy your gameplay experience beyond the scope of the goal of simply slaying a final boss. Explore your imagination and reach new heights in what you can build and accomplish. Such a liberating gameplay perspective can already be observed in the creations of the amazingly talented and visionary Minecraft community. 


Gamepur is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Ethan Webb
Ethan Webb
From spending endless hours discovering secrets in Paper Mario: TTYD to farming monster parts for a new Bowgun in Monster Hunter Rise, Ethan has always been a gaming enthusiast who passionately loves what he writes about. Since 2021, he has covered Game Guide content for multiple sites, with additional experience in writing coming from his double major Bachelor's Degree in Media & Comm. and Business Admin at Yengnam University in South Korea. Ethan enjoys a wide range of games from various genres, such as Minecraft, Pokémon, Final Fantasy, Fortnite, Roblox, and more.