Quotes by Poet | Beyond Motive

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Quotes by Poet

"To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work."

"To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work."

Mary Oliver, American Poet

Work, Attention

1562

"Of all the ways to lose a person, death is the kindest."

"Of all the ways to lose a person, death is the kindest."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

Death, Loss, Kindness

556

"Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds."

"Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds."

Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Poet

Poetry, Moments

466

"Nations are born in the hearts of poets, they prosper and die in the hands of politicians."

"Nations are born in the hearts of poets, they prosper and die in the hands of politicians."

Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistani Poet

Nation, Nations, Poets, Politicians

350

"Glory comes too late, after one as been reduced to ashes."

"Glory comes too late, after one as been reduced to ashes."

Marcus Valerius Martial, Spanish Poet

329

"People that seem so glorious are all show; underneath they are like everyone else."

"People that seem so glorious are all show; underneath they are like everyone else."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

318

"Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom."

"Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom."

Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet

Love, Freedom, Possession

311

"Lawyers are men who hire out their words and anger."

"Lawyers are men who hire out their words and anger."

Horace, Roman Poet

Anger, Men, Lawyers, Words

292

"The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise."

"The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise."

Alden Nowlan, Canadian Poet

292

"The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."

"The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."

William Wordsworth, English Poet

Love, Life, Kindness, Man

275

"The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone."

"The strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone."

Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian Poet

271

"Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness."

"Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness."

Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese Philosopher

Happiness, Life, Truth, People

266

"Nothing succeeds like success. Get a little success, and then just get a little more."

"Nothing succeeds like success. Get a little success, and then just get a little more."

Maya Angelou, American Poet

Success, Motivational, Growth, Achievement

264

"Any life is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is."

"Any life is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is."

Jorge Luis Borges, Argentinian Poet

263

"Loss and possession, death and life are one, There falls no shadow where there shines no sun."

"Loss and possession, death and life are one, There falls no shadow where there shines no sun."

Hilaire Belloc, English Poet

Death, Life, Loss, Possession

257

"Beauty is the lover's gift."

"Beauty is the lover's gift."

William Congreve, English Poet

255

"Despair is the damp of hell, as joy is the serenity of heaven."

"Despair is the damp of hell, as joy is the serenity of heaven."

John Donne, British Poet

Despair, Heaven, Hell, Joy

253

"An artist never really finishes his work, he merely abandons it."

"An artist never really finishes his work, he merely abandons it."

Paul Valery, French Poet

249

"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding."

"Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding."

Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese Philosopher

Pain, Understanding, Poet, Khalil Gibran

247

"A man is sorry to be honest for nothing."

"A man is sorry to be honest for nothing."

Ovid, Roman Poet

245

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you."

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you."

Walt Whitman, American Poet

Optimism, Shadows, Will

245

"When a man's stomach is full it makes no difference whether he is rich or poor."

"When a man's stomach is full it makes no difference whether he is rich or poor."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Difference, Man, Poor

244

"Virtue herself is her own fairest reward."

"Virtue herself is her own fairest reward."

Silius Italicus, Roman Poet

244

"A minority may be right, and a majority is always wrong."

"A minority may be right, and a majority is always wrong."

Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian Poet

Minority, Majority, May, Right

242

"The center that I cannot find is known to my unconscious mind."

"The center that I cannot find is known to my unconscious mind."

W. H. Auden, English Poet

Mind, Unconscious

241

"The best is he who calls men to the best. And those who heed the call are also blessed. But worthless who call not, heed not, but rest."

"The best is he who calls men to the best. And those who heed the call are also blessed. But worthless who call not, heed not, but rest."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

239

"Conquer we shall, but, we must first contend! It's not the fight that crowns us, but the end."

"Conquer we shall, but, we must first contend! It's not the fight that crowns us, but the end."

Robert Herrick, British Poet

End, Fight, First

238

"Reality is not always probable, or likely."

"Reality is not always probable, or likely."

Jorge Luis Borges, Argentinian Poet

236

"Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one's own actions or lack of action. If it leads to change then it can be useful, since it is then no longer guilt but the beginning of knowledge. Yet all too often, guilt is just another name for impotence, for defensiveness destructive of communication; it becomes a device to protect ignorance and the continuation of things the way they are, the ultimate protection for changelessness."

"Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one's own actions or lack of action. If it leads to change then it can be useful, since it is then no longer guilt but the beginning of knowledge. Yet all too often, guilt is just another name for impotence, for defensiveness destructive of communication; it becomes a device to protect ignorance and the continuation of things the way they are, the ultimate protection for changelessness."

Audre Lorde, American Poet

Guilt, Anger, Accountability, Change

235

"Down on your knees, and thank heaven, fasting, for a good man's love."

"Down on your knees, and thank heaven, fasting, for a good man's love."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Love, Heaven, Man

234

"Love begets love, love knows no rules, this is same for all."

"Love begets love, love knows no rules, this is same for all."

Virgil, Roman Poet

232

"Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well."

"Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the roads which lie ahead, and those over which we have traveled, and if the future road looms ominous or unpromising, and the roads back uninviting, then we need to gather our resolve and, carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that as well."

Maya Angelou, American Poet

Decision, Choice, Responsibility, Future, Resolve

231

"To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter."

"To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Family, Father, Daughter, Nothing, Old

231

"Rise above sectional interests and private ambitions... Pass from matter to spirit. Matter is diversity; spirit is light, life and unity."

"Rise above sectional interests and private ambitions... Pass from matter to spirit. Matter is diversity; spirit is light, life and unity."

Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistani Poet

Life, Diversity, Light, Spirit

231

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough."

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough."

Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet

Time, Moments, Months

229

"Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity."

"Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity."

Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese Philosopher

Trust, Dreams, Eternity, Poet

227

"A fault is fostered by concealment."

"A fault is fostered by concealment."

Virgil, Roman Poet

227

"If fame is to come only after death, I am in no hurry for it."

"If fame is to come only after death, I am in no hurry for it."

Marcus Valerius Martial, Spanish Poet

225

"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou."

"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou."

Omar Khayyam, Persian Poet

223

"Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years."

"Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years."

Ausonius, Roman Poet

Happiness, Age, Time, Old

222

"Ale, man, ale's the stuff to drink for fellows whom it hurts to think."

"Ale, man, ale's the stuff to drink for fellows whom it hurts to think."

A. E. Housman, English Poet

Resilience, Ale, Man

222

"New York was breaking my concentration and disintegrating my thoughts."

"New York was breaking my concentration and disintegrating my thoughts."

George Murray, Canadian Poet

Thought, Thoughts

219

"Success is dependent on effort."

"Success is dependent on effort."

Sophocles, Greek Poet

Success, Effort

219

"You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might also pray in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance."

"You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might also pray in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance."

Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese Philosopher

Generosity, Abundance, Joy, Poet, Khalil Gibran

219

"An honest man's the noblest work of God."

"An honest man's the noblest work of God."

Alexander Pope, English Poet

Honesty, Work, God, Man

218

"Be content to be what you are, and prefer nothing to it, and do not fear or wish for your last day."

"Be content to be what you are, and prefer nothing to it, and do not fear or wish for your last day."

Marcus Valerius Martial, Spanish Poet

Fear, Content, Day, Nothing

216

"It may be that the satisfaction I need depends on my going away, so that when I've gone and come back, I'll find it at home."

"It may be that the satisfaction I need depends on my going away, so that when I've gone and come back, I'll find it at home."

Rumi, Persian Poet

Happiness, Home, May, Satisfaction

216

"Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst."

"Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst."

Marcus Valerius Martial, Spanish Poet

215

"Reality is not simply there, it must be searched and won."

"Reality is not simply there, it must be searched and won."

Paul Celan, Romanian Poet

214

"Meditation is not evasion, it is a serene encounter with reality."

"Meditation is not evasion, it is a serene encounter with reality."

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Poet

Mindfulness, Meditation, Reality, Serenity

211

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