Quotes by Poet | Beyond Motive 19/304

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Quotes by Poet

"Man hands on misery to man. It deepens like a coastal shelf. Get out as early as you can, and don't have any kids yourself."

"Man hands on misery to man. It deepens like a coastal shelf. Get out as early as you can, and don't have any kids yourself."

Philip Larkin, English Poet

Kids, Man, Misery

21

"There are those, I know, who will reply that the liberation of humanity, the freedom of man and mind, is nothing but a dream. They are right. It is. It is the American Dream."

"There are those, I know, who will reply that the liberation of humanity, the freedom of man and mind, is nothing but a dream. They are right. It is. It is the American Dream."

Archibald MacLeish, American Poet

Dream, Freedom, Humanity

21

"Thus times do shift, each thing his turn does hold; New things succeed, as former things grow old."

"Thus times do shift, each thing his turn does hold; New things succeed, as former things grow old."

Robert Herrick, British Poet

21

"Man thrives where angels would die of ecstasy and where pigs would die of disgust."

"Man thrives where angels would die of ecstasy and where pigs would die of disgust."

Kenneth Rexroth, American Poet

Contradiction, Angels, Disgust, Ecstasy, Man

21

"Being born a woman is my awful tragedy. From the moment I was conceived I was doomed to sprout breasts and ovaries rather than penis and scrotum; to have my whole circle of action, thought and feeling rigidly circumscribed by my inescapable feminity. Yes, my consuming desire to mingle with road crews, sailors and soldiers, bar room regulars--to be a part of a scene, anonymous, listening, recording--all is spoiled by the fact that I am a girl, a female always in danger of assault and battery. My consuming interest in men and their lives is often misconstrued as a desire to seduce them, or as an invitation to intimacy. Yet, God, I want to talk to everybody I can as deeply as I can. I want to be able to sleep in an open field, to travel west, to walk freely at night..."

"Being born a woman is my awful tragedy. From the moment I was conceived I was doomed to sprout breasts and ovaries rather than penis and scrotum; to have my whole circle of action, thought and feeling rigidly circumscribed by my inescapable feminity. Yes, my consuming desire to mingle with road crews, sailors and soldiers, bar room regulars--to be a part of a scene, anonymous, listening, recording--all is spoiled by the fact that I am a girl, a female always in danger of assault and battery. My consuming interest in men and their lives is often misconstrued as a desire to seduce them, or as an invitation to intimacy. Yet, God, I want to talk to everybody I can as deeply as I can. I want to be able to sleep in an open field, to travel west, to walk freely at night..."

Sylvia Plath, American Poet

Femininity, Freedom, Desire, Limitation

21

"The company of fools may first make us smile, but in the end we always feel melancholy."

"The company of fools may first make us smile, but in the end we always feel melancholy."

Oliver Goldsmith, Irish Poet

Society, Company, End, First, Fools

21

"Creeds and castes, and all forms of intellectual and emotional grouping, belong to the past."

"Creeds and castes, and all forms of intellectual and emotional grouping, belong to the past."

Herbert Read, English Poet

21

"Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die."

"Ours not to reason why, ours but to do and die."

Alfred Lord Tennyson, English Poet

21

"It is in your hands to make life miserable or happy. No religion, spiritual leaders or knowledge will ever make you fully satisfied."

"It is in your hands to make life miserable or happy. No religion, spiritual leaders or knowledge will ever make you fully satisfied."

Santosh Kalwar, Nepalese Poet

Responsibility, Happiness, Power, Self

21

"In the first period religious life appears as a form of discipline which the individual or a whole people must accept as an unconditional command without any rational understanding of the ultimate meaning and purpose of that command."

"In the first period religious life appears as a form of discipline which the individual or a whole people must accept as an unconditional command without any rational understanding of the ultimate meaning and purpose of that command."

Muhammed Iqbal, Indian Poet

Life, People, Discipline, Purpose

21

"The ultimate aim of the ego is not to see something, but to be something."

"The ultimate aim of the ego is not to see something, but to be something."

Muhammed Iqbal, Indian Poet

21

"Always be fearless. Walk like lion, talk like pigeons, live like elephants and love like an infant child."

"Always be fearless. Walk like lion, talk like pigeons, live like elephants and love like an infant child."

Santosh Kalwar, Nepalese Poet

Courage, Fearlessness, Inspirational, Confidence

21

"But the child's sob curses deeper in the silence than the strong man in his wrath!"

"But the child's sob curses deeper in the silence than the strong man in his wrath!"

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English Poet

21

"Morality is the weakness of the brain."

"Morality is the weakness of the brain."

Arthur Rimbaud, French Poet

Morality, Weakness

21

"As yet, the Negroes themselves do not fully appreciate these old slave songs."

"As yet, the Negroes themselves do not fully appreciate these old slave songs."

James Weldon Johnson, American Poet

21

"Sooner barbarity than boredom."

"Sooner barbarity than boredom."

Theophile Gautier, French Poet

21

"Irony is the hygiene of the mind."

"Irony is the hygiene of the mind."

Elizabeth Bibesco, British Poet

Intellectual, Hygiene, Irony, Mind

21

"Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise."

"Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise."

Thomas Gray, English Poet

Ignorance, Folly

21

"Only in stillness does the imperceivable become discernible."

"Only in stillness does the imperceivable become discernible."

Bryant McGill, American Poet

Stillness, Truth, Wisdom, Happiness

21

"It's not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them."

"It's not wise to violate rules until you know how to observe them."

T. S. Eliot, American Poet

21

"Poetic knowledge is born in the great silence of scientific knowledge."

"Poetic knowledge is born in the great silence of scientific knowledge."

Aime Cesaire, French Poet

Knowledge, Silence

21

"God's justice, tardy though it prove perchance, Rests never on the track until it reach Delinquency."

"God's justice, tardy though it prove perchance, Rests never on the track until it reach Delinquency."

Robert Browning Hamilton, American Poet

21

"Digital media has destroyed much of the magic and mystery of the medium."

"Digital media has destroyed much of the magic and mystery of the medium."

John Dyer, American Poet

Magic, Media, Mystery

21

"When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."

"When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."

Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese Philosopher

Truth, Heart, Deep, Delight

21

"Books have led some to learning and others to madness."

"Books have led some to learning and others to madness."

Petrarch, Italian Poet

Books, Learning, Madness

21

"A sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier times."

"A sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier times."

Alfred Lord Tennyson, English Poet

Nostalgia, Sorrow

21

"There is an eloquence in true enthusiasm."

"There is an eloquence in true enthusiasm."

Edgar Allan Poe, American Poet

Enthusiasm, Eloquence

21

"High thoughts must have high language."

"High thoughts must have high language."

Aristophanes, Greek Poet

Thought, Thoughts, Language

21

"Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard."

"Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard."

Anne Sexton, American Poet

21

"Finality is death. Perfection is finality. Nothing is perfect. There are lumps in it."

"Finality is death. Perfection is finality. Nothing is perfect. There are lumps in it."

James Stephens, Irish Poet

Death, Nothing, Perfection

21

"Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships."

"Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships."

Charles Simic, American Poet

Creativity, Ships

21

"Genius is talent set on fire by courage."

"Genius is talent set on fire by courage."

Henry Van Dyke, American Poet

Talent, Genius, Courage, Fire

21

"Be to their virtue very kind; be to their faults a little blind."

"Be to their virtue very kind; be to their faults a little blind."

Matthew Prior, English Poet

Virtue, Blind, Faults

21

"All things deteriorate in time."

"All things deteriorate in time."

Virgil, Roman Poet

21

"He only profits from praise who values criticism."

"He only profits from praise who values criticism."

Heinrich Heine, German Poet

Values, Criticism, Praise

21

"I no longer feel pressure to produce fiction."

"I no longer feel pressure to produce fiction."

George Murray, Canadian Poet

Fiction, Pressure

21

"Pure innovation is more gross than error."

"Pure innovation is more gross than error."

George Chapman, English Poet

Innovation, Error

21

"Let the gentle bush dig its root deep and spread upward to split the boulder."

"Let the gentle bush dig its root deep and spread upward to split the boulder."

Carl Sandburg, American Poet

21

"Listen; there's a hell of a good universe next door: let's go."

"Listen; there's a hell of a good universe next door: let's go."

e. e. cummings, American Poet

21

"True friends appear less moved than counterfeit."

"True friends appear less moved than counterfeit."

Homer, Greek Poet

Friendship, Friends

21

"For the merchant, even honesty is a financial speculation."

"For the merchant, even honesty is a financial speculation."

Charles Baudelaire, French Poet

Finance, Financial, Honesty

21

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard."

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard."

Anne Spencer, American Poet

Coffee, Communication

21

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"

Robert Browning Hamilton, American Poet

21

"The sensitive artist knows that a bitter wind is blowing."

"The sensitive artist knows that a bitter wind is blowing."

Herbert Read, English Poet

Sensitivity, Artist, Wind

21

"Everything transitory is but an image."

"Everything transitory is but an image."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German Poet

Metaphysics, Transience, Image, Reality, Philosophy

21

"You do not have to do anything to defend yourself in life; just BE beautiful, and life will defend you."

"You do not have to do anything to defend yourself in life; just BE beautiful, and life will defend you."

Bryant McGill, American Poet

Defense, Truth, Happiness, Wisdom, Power

21

"Sexual self-restraint is only a preliminary stage in the ego's evolution."

"Sexual self-restraint is only a preliminary stage in the ego's evolution."

Muhammed Iqbal, Indian Poet

Ego, Evolution, Self

21

"I despair of ever writing excellent poetry."

"I despair of ever writing excellent poetry."

Isaac Rosenberg, English Poet

Poetry, Despair, Writing

21

"Happy is he who can trace effects to their causes."

"Happy is he who can trace effects to their causes."

Virgil, Roman Poet

21

"Take the word of experience, I speak the truth: inaction is safest in danger."

"Take the word of experience, I speak the truth: inaction is safest in danger."

Silius Italicus, Roman Poet

Experience, Danger, Inaction, Word

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