120+ Deep & Funny Captions About Light and Darkness

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Find the light within the darkness with these hopeful quotes

Co-authored by Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: July 16, 2025 Fact Checked

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Social Media Captions

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Short

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Funny

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Literary Quotes

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Song Lyrics

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Historical Quotes

Light and darkness have long been used as a metaphor for various dualities, like good versus evil, rebirth versus destruction, and morality versus corruption. We all have both light and darkness inside of us, so it’s no surprise we’ve been writing about their duality for ages. If you want to learn more about this two-toned topic, keep reading, as we’ve gathered a comprehensive list of captions, quotes, and even song lyrics about light and darkness.

The Best “Light in Darkness” Quotes

“However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.” — Stanley Kubrick
“Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.” — Walt Whitman
“It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars.” — Richard Evans
“There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen

Section 1 of 6:

Social Media Captions About Light and Darkness

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Use these captions to show off your deep and intellectual side. If you want to impress your followers with a thought-provoking caption on your latest carousel post of photos, consider using one of these quotes as captions. Your online friends may see a side of you that they never have before, and perhaps they’ll find it… illuminating. Here are some options:^{[1]
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- “Embrace the light and let it guide your path.”
- “Life is all about finding the perfect balance between light and dark.”
- “When darkness surrounds you, be the light.”
- “Darkness cannot extinguish the light within.”
- “Find beauty in the shadows and the light.”
- “Discovering the magic in between light and dark.”
- “I shine bright like a diamond...or so I've been told.”
- “When life gives you shadows, create your own sunshine.”
- “If you can't find the light at the end of the tunnel, try switching it on.”
- “Shadows can't handle my shining personality.”
- “You are my sunshine on the darkest days.”
- “Where there is light, there is love.”
- “Every shadow holds a secret waiting to be discovered.”
- “Stars can't shine without darkness.”
- “The darker the night, the brighter the stars.”

Section 2 of 6:

Short Captions on Light and Darkness

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Leave a lasting impression with your quick-witted captions. If you’re a person of few words, choose an Instagram caption to reflect that. Keep things short and sweet with a single-word mic drop or a brief but powerful statement. Here are a few options to consider for your next post:
- “Shine bright.”
- “Let your light shine.”
- “Glowing like there's no tomorrow.”
- “You glow, girl.”
- “Midnight mischief.”
- “Radiant.”
- “Glowing and growing.”
- “Let’s light up the night.”
- “Chasing shadows.”
- “Lustrous.”
- “Dancing in the dark.”
- “Be the light.”
- “Find the light within.”
- “Dazzling.”
- “Brilliant.”
- “Neon lights and great vibes.”
- “City lights > starlight.”
- “Simply radiant.”
- “Follow the light.”
- “Love and light.”
- “On fire.”
- “Glow with the flow.”
- “It’s lit.”

Section 3 of 6:

Funny Captions on Light and Darkness

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Make your followers laugh with a colorful caption. Whether you’re showing off your “glow up” or posting about a cup of coffee that’s as black as your soul, there are plenty of funny captions about light and darkness to reflect your silly mood. Here are some examples:
- “Glow big or go home.”
- “Keep shining, even when the lights go out.”
- “Glow getters, where you at?”
- “My glow doesn’t have an off switch.”
- “In a world of black and white, be the neon.”
- “Glowing up, never dimming down.”
- “Brighter than a neon sign and hotter than a star.”
- “Glow as you go.”
- “Way too bright to be subtle.”
- “Dripping in neon and moonlight.”

Section 4 of 6:

Literary Quotes on Light and Darkness

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Delve deeper into these opposing shades with these literary masters. The idea of assigning meanings to light and darkness has fascinated writers and poets since the dawn of man. Like the philosophy behind yin and yang, many believe that darkness is essential to light, and vice versa, and that both are instrumental in shaping the human experience. Here are some deep, literary quotes to choose from:^{[2]
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- “It's not the darkness that I fear, but what it hides.” — Dean Koontz
- “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.” — Victor Hugo
- “When darkness falls, beauty is lit from within.” — Johnathan Jena
- “It’s so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone.” — John Steinbeck
- “However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.” — Stanley Kubrick
- “Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” — Madeline L’Engle
- “Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.” — Walt Whitman
- “Your path is illuminated by the light, yet darkness lets the stars shine bright.” — J.L.W. Brooks
- “Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it could be.” — Rob Bell
- “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
- “It is often in the darkest skies that we see the brightest stars.” — Richard Evans
- “Light must come from inside. You cannot ask the darkness to leave; you must turn on the light.” — Sogyal Rinpoche
- “To see a candle’s light, one must take it into a dark place.” — Ursula K. Le Guin
- “Know that darkness is merely the absence of light. You can be the small candle that defeats the vast darkness.” — Jonathan Lockwood Huie
- “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” ― William Shakespeare
- “There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” — Amanda Gorman
- “There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” — Edith Wharton
- “As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way.” — Mary Anne Radmacher
- “Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” — Maya Angelou
- “Is there anything more loyal than the sun?” — Mary Oliver
- “As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.” — Marianne Williamson
- “Just as one candle lights another and can light thousands of other candles, so one heart illuminates another heart and can illuminate thousands of other hearts.” — Leo Tolstoy
- “Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift.” — Mary Oliver
- “The darkness declares the glory of light.” — T. S. Eliot
- “Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you.” — Walt Whitman.
- “There are no shadows in the dark. Shadows are the servants of light, the children of fire. The brightest flame casts the darkest shadows.” — George R. R. Martin
- “A visionary is one who can find his way by moonlight and see the dawn before the rest of the world.” — Oscar Wilde
- “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- “Light is to darkness what love is to fear; in the presence of one the other disappears.” — Marianne Williamson
- “There is no denying that there is evil in this world, but the light will always conquer the darkness.” ― Idowu Koyenikan
- “The sun does not abandon the moon to darkness.” ― Brian A. McBride
- “Light is easy to love. Show me your darkness.” ― R.Queen
- “Evil cannot and will not be vanquished by evil. Dark will only swallow dark and deepen. The good and the light are the keenest weapons.” ― Nora Roberts
- “The bigger the darkness, the easier it is to spot your little light.” ― Brother Andrew
- “I was made to rule the darkness.” ― Rae Hachton
- “A man who refuses light will remain in the darkness even by the side of light!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan
- “Obsessing over what is wrong will not invite what is right. Dwelling in darkness keeps us from embracing the light.⁠” ― Anthon St. Maarten
- “The darker the night, the brighter the stars.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky
- “The night is darkest just before the dawn.” — Thomas Fuller
- “Stars can’t shine without darkness.” — D.H. Sidebottom
- “The darkness always passes, and the light comes back.” — Khaled Hosseini
- “When darkness falls, beauty is lit from within.” — John Donahue
- “Darkness will always give you an opportunity to create your own light.” — Iain Thomas

Section 5 of 6:

Song Lyrics About Light and Darkness

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Sing along to these bright and shadowy lyrics. Musical artists have long crooned about light and darkness, praising the beauty, magic, and transcendence of these opposing intensities. Use these lyrics as captions on social media to add a bit of fun, flair, and depth to your post:^{[3]
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- “And in the dark, I can hear your heartbeat.” — Ellie Goulding
- “Lightning strikes every time she moves.” — Calvin Harris
- “Hello darkness, my old friend.” — Simon & Garfunkel
- “When it's dark out, no one sees compromise.” — G-Eazy
- “Don’t let this darkness fool you. All lights turned off can be turned on.” — Noah Kahan
- “I'm ready to face the dark again.” — Tom Odell
- “Dark necessities are part of my design.” — Red Hot Chili Peppers
- “I can't stand the light, let's hide in the dark.” — Imagine Dragons
- “There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen
- “Love of mine, someday you will die / but I'll be close behind / I'll follow you into the dark / No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white / Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark.” — Death Cab for Cutie
- “Oh, let the light in / [I’m] your back door yelling 'cause I wanna come in / Oh, turn your light on / Look at us, you and I, back at it again.”— Lana Del Rey

Section 6 of 6:

Historical Quotes on Light and Darkness

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Learn what historical figures have said about light and darkness. Throughout history, activists, scholars, philosophers, and many other notable figures have contemplated the duality of light and darkness. From Martin Luther King Jr. to St. Francis of Assisi, read on to get a sense of what conclusions the greatest minds of their generations came to:^{[4]
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- “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
- “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” — Harriet Tubman
- “It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” — Archbishop Desmond Tutu
- “Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” — Brené Brown
- “Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to change racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice ring out for all of God's children.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
- “Gotta have opposites, light and dark and dark and light, in painting. It’s like in life. Gotta have a little sadness once in a while, so you know when the good times come. I'm waiting on the good times now.” ― Bob Ross
- “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” — Plato
- “In the midst of darkness, light persists.” — Mahatma Gandhi
- “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” — Aristotle
- “In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present.” — Sir Francis Bacon
- “Don’t fight darkness—bring the light, and darkness will disappear.” — Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
- “You may be the only person left who believes in you, but it’s enough. It takes just one star to pierce a universe of darkness. Never give up.” — Richelle E. Goodrich
- “We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future.” — John F. Kennedy
- “Instead of cursing the darkness, light a candle.” — Benjamin Franklin
- “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” — St. Francis of Assisi
- “A candle loses nothing when it lights another candle.” — Thomas Jefferson
- “Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.” — Anne Frank
- “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” — Helen Keller
- “Whenever you see darkness, there is an extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter.” — Bono
- “I think we all have light and dark inside us.” — Sean Penn
- “It is as if the smallest amount of light is infinitely more powerful than massive amounts of dark.” — Rob Bell
- “The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light.” — Ram Dass
- “Light and shadow are opposite sides of the same coin. We can illuminate our paths or darken our way. It is a matter of choice.” — Maya Angelou
- “Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s a light shining somewhere nearby.” — Ruth E. Renkel
- “I think that light and shadow have exactly the same duality that exists between life and death.” — Manuel Alvarez Bravo
- “Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.” — Carl Jung
- "Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth” — Gautama Buddha
- “Don’t fight darkness—bring the light, and darkness will disappear.” — Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
- "Give light, and the darkness will disappear of itself." — Desiderius Erasmus
- “Why not dare yourself to become a shining positive light where darkness is the only thing known?” — Edmond Mbiaka
- "You can't discover light by analyzing the dark." — Wayne Dyer