The Teacher is drawing near the end of his reflections and is prepared to start drawing some conclusions about life. And the first one is this: just being alive isn’t enough. The looming shadow of death renders our experience absurd, but that doesn't mean it's ultimately worthless. In fact, if anything, it means that while we're alive we should be concerned to really live. The only way to do that is to face death (1-3), cherish life (4-6) and enjoy creation (7-10). And, as you might guess, The Teacher’s insight prepares us to meet the Teacher’s Teacher – Jesus Christ - who is able to give us abundant life.