Quotes by Poet | Beyond Motive 20/304

top of page

Quotes by Poet

"Forbid us something, and that thing we desire."

"Forbid us something, and that thing we desire."

Geoffrey Chaucer, English Poet

21

"Concerning God, freewill and destiny: Of all that earth has been or yet may be, all that vain men imagine or believe, or hope can paint or suffering may achieve, we descanted."

"Concerning God, freewill and destiny: Of all that earth has been or yet may be, all that vain men imagine or believe, or hope can paint or suffering may achieve, we descanted."

Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Poet

Man, Men, God, Hope, Earth

21

"That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over, lest you should think he never could recapture the first fine careless rapture!"

"That's the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over, lest you should think he never could recapture the first fine careless rapture!"

Robert Browning, English Poet

Enthusiasm, First, Song

21

"At college I'd seen my dead frog's limbs twitch under some applied stimulus or other - seen, but hadn't believed. Didn't dream of thinking beyond or around what I saw."

"At college I'd seen my dead frog's limbs twitch under some applied stimulus or other - seen, but hadn't believed. Didn't dream of thinking beyond or around what I saw."

James Merrill, American Poet

Dream, College, Thinking

21

"Evil is done without effort, naturally, it is the working of fate; good is always the product of an art."

"Evil is done without effort, naturally, it is the working of fate; good is always the product of an art."

Charles Baudelaire, French Poet

Art, Effort, Evil, Fate

21

"It is living and ceasing to live that are imaginary solutions. Existence is elsewhere."

"It is living and ceasing to live that are imaginary solutions. Existence is elsewhere."

Andre Breton, French Poet

Existence, Living

21

"I tell you the past is a bucket of ashes, so live not in your yesterdays, no just for tomorrow, but in the here and now. Keep moving and forget the post mortems; and remember, no one can get the jump on the future."

"I tell you the past is a bucket of ashes, so live not in your yesterdays, no just for tomorrow, but in the here and now. Keep moving and forget the post mortems; and remember, no one can get the jump on the future."

Carl Sandburg, American Poet

Present, Forget, Future, Now, Past

21

"There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met."

"There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met."

William Butler Yeats, Irish Poet

Friendship, Friends, Strangers

21

"And die of nothing but a rage to live."

"And die of nothing but a rage to live."

Alexander Pope, English Poet

Purpose, Nothing

21

"Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can offer with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation, but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession."

"Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can offer with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation, but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

Self, Gift, Cultivation, Originality

21

"Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming, it is the stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury."

"Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming, it is the stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury."

Francis Quarles, English Poet

Anger, Patience

21

"I use a wide selection of colours. It is impossible to produce work like mine using only the primary colours as they only mix a certain range of colour."

"I use a wide selection of colours. It is impossible to produce work like mine using only the primary colours as they only mix a certain range of colour."

John Dyer, American Poet

21

"To lead a country, you must periodically hold a national consultation in which people representing different programmes can make a bid for power."

"To lead a country, you must periodically hold a national consultation in which people representing different programmes can make a bid for power."

Tahar Ben Jelloun, French Poet

Power, People, Country

21

"Mind moves matter."

"Mind moves matter."

Virgil, Roman Poet

21

"They sin who tell us Love can die: with Life all other passions fly, all others are but vanity."

"They sin who tell us Love can die: with Life all other passions fly, all others are but vanity."

Robert Southey, English Poet

Life, Love, Sin, Vanity

21

"Finite to fail but infinite to venture."

"Finite to fail but infinite to venture."

Emily Dickinson, American Poet

Effort, Failure, Bravery, Infinity, Limit

21

"An apt quotation is like a lamp which flings its light over the whole sentence."

"An apt quotation is like a lamp which flings its light over the whole sentence."

Letitia Landon, British Poet

Light, Quotation

21

"Temper your enjoyments with prudence, lest there be written on your heart that fearful word "satiety.""

"Temper your enjoyments with prudence, lest there be written on your heart that fearful word "satiety.""

Francis Quarles, English Poet

Heart, Prudence, Temper, Word

21

"If the poet has pursued a moral objective, he has diminished his poetic force."

"If the poet has pursued a moral objective, he has diminished his poetic force."

Charles Baudelaire, French Poet

21

"And love is love in beggars and in kings."

"And love is love in beggars and in kings."

Edward Dyer, English Poet

21

"My characters are driven by a passionate desire for justice. They are rebellious and incorruptible."

"My characters are driven by a passionate desire for justice. They are rebellious and incorruptible."

Tahar Ben Jelloun, French Poet

Desire, Justice

21

"Children are God's Apostles, sent forth, day by day, to preach of love, and hope, and peace."

"Children are God's Apostles, sent forth, day by day, to preach of love, and hope, and peace."

James Russell Lowell, American Poet

Peace, Love, God, Hope

21

"He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well."

"He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well."

John Milton, English Poet

Revenge, Wounds

21

"Ocean separates lands, not souls.."

"Ocean separates lands, not souls.."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Separation, Loneliness, Connection, Spirit

21

"The sad souls of those who lived without blame and without praise."

"The sad souls of those who lived without blame and without praise."

Dante Alighieri, Italian Poet

21

"There's never a new fashion but it's old."

"There's never a new fashion but it's old."

Geoffrey Chaucer, English Poet

21

"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of."

"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of."

Ogden Nash, American Poet

21

"Hug the shore; let others try the deep."

"Hug the shore; let others try the deep."

Virgil, Roman Poet

21

"The songs certainly have not made my fortune, but I am still grateful for the royalties when they come in."

"The songs certainly have not made my fortune, but I am still grateful for the royalties when they come in."

Sydney Carter, English Poet

21

"When about to commit a base deed, respect thyself, though there is no witness."

"When about to commit a base deed, respect thyself, though there is no witness."

Ausonius, Roman Poet

Self-control, Deed, Respect

21

"There is no lighter burden, nor more agreeable, than a pen."

"There is no lighter burden, nor more agreeable, than a pen."

Petrarch, Italian Poet

21

"I ordered gold in the meantime to be showered down without ceasing among the happy multitude."

"I ordered gold in the meantime to be showered down without ceasing among the happy multitude."

Adelbert von Chamisso, German Poet

21

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'."

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'."

John Greenleaf Whittier, American Poet

Reflection, Pen, Tongue, Words

21

"What they could do with 'round here is a good war. What else can you expect with peace running wild all over the place? You know what the trouble with peace is? No organization."

"What they could do with 'round here is a good war. What else can you expect with peace running wild all over the place? You know what the trouble with peace is? No organization."

Bertolt Brecht, German Poet

Peace, War, Running, Trouble

21

"The argument of the strongest is always the best."

"The argument of the strongest is always the best."

Jean de La Fontaine, French Poet

21

"We are not won by arguments that we can analyse but by tone and temper, by the manner which is the man himself."

"We are not won by arguments that we can analyse but by tone and temper, by the manner which is the man himself."

Samuel Butler, British Poet

Persuasion, Arguments, Man, Temper

21

"I am still of opinion that only two topics can be of the least interest to a serious and studious mood - sex and the dead."

"I am still of opinion that only two topics can be of the least interest to a serious and studious mood - sex and the dead."

William Butler Yeats, Irish Poet

Sex, Interest, Opinion

21

"Poetry isn't a profession, it's a way of life. It's an empty basket; you put your life into it and make something out of that."

"Poetry isn't a profession, it's a way of life. It's an empty basket; you put your life into it and make something out of that."

Mary Oliver, American Poet

Life, Poetry, Profession

21

"There are but two places where all go after death, white and black, rich and poor; those places are Heaven and Hell. Heaven is a place made for those, who are born again, and who love God, and it is a place where they will be happy for ever."

"There are but two places where all go after death, white and black, rich and poor; those places are Heaven and Hell. Heaven is a place made for those, who are born again, and who love God, and it is a place where they will be happy for ever."

Jupiter Hammon, American Poet

Love, Death, God, Heaven

21

"Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself (I am large I contain multitudes)."

"Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself (I am large I contain multitudes)."

Walt Whitman, American Poet

Philosophy, Self, Paradox, Identity, Reflection

21

"First fight. Then fiddle."

"First fight. Then fiddle."

Gwendolyn Brooks, American Poet

21

"Witnessing a selfless act brings tears to remind us how we should be treating others."

"Witnessing a selfless act brings tears to remind us how we should be treating others."

Bryant McGill, American Poet

Kindness, Compassion, Truth, Happiness, Wisdom

21

"What happens in the heart simply happens."

"What happens in the heart simply happens."

Ted Hughes, English Poet

21

"Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing."

"Question everything. Learn something. Answer nothing."

Euripides, Greek Poet

Nothing, Question

21

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth."

"No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth."

Robert Southey, English Poet

Friendship, Time, Worth

21

"Where men of judgment creep and feel their way, The positive pronounce without dismay."

"Where men of judgment creep and feel their way, The positive pronounce without dismay."

William Cowper, English Poet

Positive, Men, Judgment

21

"To have great poets there must be great audiences too."

"To have great poets there must be great audiences too."

Walt Whitman, American Poet

Art, Poetry, Audience, Expression

21

"It was a world that I wanted to record because it was such a miracle visitation to me."

"It was a world that I wanted to record because it was such a miracle visitation to me."

Laurie Lee, English Poet

21

"It seems difficult, sometimes, to believe that there was a time when sentiments now become habitual, sentiments that imply not only the original imperative of conduct, but the original metaphysic of living, were by no means altogether habitual."

"It seems difficult, sometimes, to believe that there was a time when sentiments now become habitual, sentiments that imply not only the original imperative of conduct, but the original metaphysic of living, were by no means altogether habitual."

Lascelles Abercrombie, British Poet

Time, Living, Now

21

"Fortune, that favors fools."

"Fortune, that favors fools."

Ben Jonson, English Poet

Fortune, Favors, Fools

21

bottom of page