Quotes by Poet | Beyond Motive 48/304

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Quotes by Poet

"The Falklands thing was a fight between two bald men over a comb."

"The Falklands thing was a fight between two bald men over a comb."

Jorge Luis Borges, Argentinian Poet

Man, Men, Fight

16

"Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor."

"Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

Time, Measure, Right

16

"A poem may be an instance of morality, of social conditions, of psychological history; it may instance all its qualities, but never one of them alone, nor any two or three; never less than all."

"A poem may be an instance of morality, of social conditions, of psychological history; it may instance all its qualities, but never one of them alone, nor any two or three; never less than all."

Allen Tate, American Poet

History, Morality, May

16

"Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers."

"Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers."

William Wordsworth, English Poet

16

"Adversity is the first path to truth."

"Adversity is the first path to truth."

Lord Byron, British Poet

Truth, Adversity, First

16

"Great breakthroughs are always followed by great catastrophes."

"Great breakthroughs are always followed by great catastrophes."

Rosalia de Castro, Spanish Poet

16

"Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people."

"Most people ignore most poetry because most poetry ignores most people."

Adrian Mitchell, British Poet

16

"But meanwhile time flies; it flies never to be regained."

"But meanwhile time flies; it flies never to be regained."

Virgil, Roman Poet

16

"A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit."

"A lean compromise is better than a fat lawsuit."

George Herbert, British Poet

16

"Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many."

"Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many."

Phaedrus, Roman Poet

Appearance, First

16

"I stepped from Plank to PlankSo slow and cautiouslyThe Stars about my Head I felt,About my Feet the Sea.I knew not but the nextWould be my final inch -This gave me that precarious GaitSome call Experience."

"I stepped from Plank to PlankSo slow and cautiouslyThe Stars about my Head I felt,About my Feet the Sea.I knew not but the nextWould be my final inch -This gave me that precarious GaitSome call Experience."

Emily Dickinson, American Poet

Life, Experience, Caution, Journey

16

"A man may learn wisdom even from a foe."

"A man may learn wisdom even from a foe."

Aristophanes, Greek Poet

Wisdom, Man, May

16

"Don't use that foreign word "ideals." We have that excellent native word "lies.""

"Don't use that foreign word "ideals." We have that excellent native word "lies.""

Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian Poet

16

"Fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate."

"Fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate."

Emily Dickinson, American Poet

16

"If you desire healing,let yourself fall illlet yourself fall ill."

"If you desire healing,let yourself fall illlet yourself fall ill."

Rumi, Persian Poet

Healing, Illness, Acceptance, Suffering

16

"The devil doesn't know how to sing, only how to howl."

"The devil doesn't know how to sing, only how to howl."

Francis Thompson, English Poet

16

"Death is less bitter punishment than death's delay."

"Death is less bitter punishment than death's delay."

Ovid, Roman Poet

Death, Delay, Punishment

16

"God is the only being who, in order to reign, doesn't even need to exist."

"God is the only being who, in order to reign, doesn't even need to exist."

Charles Baudelaire, French Poet

God, Being, Order

16

"God will forgive me. It's his job."

"God will forgive me. It's his job."

Heinrich Heine, German Poet

16

"A wholesome oblivion of one's neighbours is the beginning of wisdom."

"A wholesome oblivion of one's neighbours is the beginning of wisdom."

Richard Le Gallienne, English Poet

Wisdom, Beginning

16

"Too poor for a bribe, and too proud to importune, he had not the method of making a fortune."

"Too poor for a bribe, and too proud to importune, he had not the method of making a fortune."

Thomas Gray, English Poet

16

"The eye must be easy, before it can be pleased."

"The eye must be easy, before it can be pleased."

William Shenstone, English Poet

Aesthetics, Eye

16

"Out of five hundred who speak glibly of love, not one can spell the first letter of his name."

"Out of five hundred who speak glibly of love, not one can spell the first letter of his name."

Marie de France, French Poet

Love, First, Name

16

"Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell."

"Music can be made anywhere, is invisible and does not smell."

W. H. Auden, English Poet

16

"The man who does evil to another does evil to himself, and the evil counsel is most evil for him who counsels it."

"The man who does evil to another does evil to himself, and the evil counsel is most evil for him who counsels it."

Hesiod, Greek Poet

16

"We say God and the imagination are one... How high that highest candle lights the dark."

"We say God and the imagination are one... How high that highest candle lights the dark."

Wallace Stevens, American Poet

Imagination, God

16

"Any writer overwhelmingly honest about pleasing himself is almost sure to please others."

"Any writer overwhelmingly honest about pleasing himself is almost sure to please others."

Marianne Moore, American Poet

Authenticity, Writer

16

"There is something in the unselfish and self-sacrificing love of a brute, which goes directly to the heart of him who has had frequent occasion to test the paltry friendship and gossamer fidelity of mere Man."

"There is something in the unselfish and self-sacrificing love of a brute, which goes directly to the heart of him who has had frequent occasion to test the paltry friendship and gossamer fidelity of mere Man."

Edgar Allan Poe, American Poet

Friendship, Love, Heart, Fidelity

16

"There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder."

"There is no gardening without humility. Nature is constantly sending even its oldest scholars to the bottom of the class for some egregious blunder."

Alfred Austin, English Poet

Nature, Gardening, Class, Humility

16

"What you possess in the world will be found at the day of your death to belong to someone else. But what you are will be yours forever."

"What you possess in the world will be found at the day of your death to belong to someone else. But what you are will be yours forever."

Henry Van Dyke, American Poet

Death, Day, Will, World

16

"I didn't choose Russia but Russia chose me. I had been fascinated from an early age by the culture, the language, the literature and the history to the place."

"I didn't choose Russia but Russia chose me. I had been fascinated from an early age by the culture, the language, the literature and the history to the place."

Helen Dunmore, British Poet

Age, History, Culture, Language

16

"It is difficult to know at what moment love begins; it is less difficult to know that it has begun."

"It is difficult to know at what moment love begins; it is less difficult to know that it has begun."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American Poet

16

"Chance is the pseudonym of God when he did not want to sign."

"Chance is the pseudonym of God when he did not want to sign."

Theophile Gautier, French Poet

God, Chance, Want

16

"Matrimony; the high sea for which no compass has yet been invented."

"Matrimony; the high sea for which no compass has yet been invented."

Heinrich Heine, German Poet

Marriage, Matrimony, Sea

16

"National pride is the culmination of a lifetime public relations campaign of psychological mind-control techniques."

"National pride is the culmination of a lifetime public relations campaign of psychological mind-control techniques."

Bryant McGill, American Poet

Pride, Truth, Wisdom, Life, Power

16

"The most effective form of activism is kindness."

"The most effective form of activism is kindness."

Bryant McGill, American Poet

Activism, Kindness, Truth, Wisdom

16

"I'm trying to climb up both walls at once."

"I'm trying to climb up both walls at once."

Charles Olson, American Poet

Ambition, Trying

16

"Open your mouth and shut your eyes and see what Zeus will send you."

"Open your mouth and shut your eyes and see what Zeus will send you."

Aristophanes, Greek Poet

Zeus, Eyes, Open, Will

16

"I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at."

"I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at."

Maya Angelou, American Poet

Family, Loyalty, Love, Work

16

"Above all, though, children are linked to adults by the simple fact that they are in process of turning into them. For this they may be forgiven much. Children are bound to be inferior to adults, or there is no incentive to grow up."

"Above all, though, children are linked to adults by the simple fact that they are in process of turning into them. For this they may be forgiven much. Children are bound to be inferior to adults, or there is no incentive to grow up."

Philip Larkin, English Poet

Family, Children, Fact, May

16

"The moon is brighter since the barn burned."

"The moon is brighter since the barn burned."

Matsuo Basho, Japanese Poet

16

"Most people who ask for advice from others have already resolved to act as it pleases them."

"Most people who ask for advice from others have already resolved to act as it pleases them."

Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese Philosopher

People, Act, Advice, Poet

16

"Humans are forever discontent-always thinking there are better alternatives to their present circumstances."

"Humans are forever discontent-always thinking there are better alternatives to their present circumstances."

Richelle E. Goodrich, American Poet

Discontent, Truth, Wisdom, Regret

16

"And I will show that nothing can happen more beautiful than death."

"And I will show that nothing can happen more beautiful than death."

Walt Whitman, American Poet

Death, Nothing, Will

16

"My face looks like a wedding-cake left out in the rain."

"My face looks like a wedding-cake left out in the rain."

W. H. Auden, English Poet

Appearance, Wedding, Rain

16

"Flowers are without hope. Because hope is tomorrow and flowers have no tomorrow."

"Flowers are without hope. Because hope is tomorrow and flowers have no tomorrow."

Antonio Porchia, Italian Poet

Hope, Flowers, Tomorrow

16

"These places, and the ancient things you know, You won't know soon. I'm working on it now.'"

"These places, and the ancient things you know, You won't know soon. I'm working on it now.'"

Andrew Motion, English Poet

16

"The death of a beautiful woman, is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world."

"The death of a beautiful woman, is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world."

Edgar Allan Poe, American Poet

Death, Woman, World

16

"Men have called me mad; but the question is not settled whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence -- whether much that is glorious -- whether all that is profound -- does not spring from disease of thought -- from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect. They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who only dream by night. In their gray visions they obtain glimpses of eternity, and thrill, in waking, to find that they have been upon the verge of the great secret. In snatches, they learn something of the wisdom which is of good, and more of the mere knowledge which is of evil. They penetrate, however rudderless or compassless, into the vast ocean of the 'light ineffable'."

"Men have called me mad; but the question is not settled whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence -- whether much that is glorious -- whether all that is profound -- does not spring from disease of thought -- from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect. They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who only dream by night. In their gray visions they obtain glimpses of eternity, and thrill, in waking, to find that they have been upon the verge of the great secret. In snatches, they learn something of the wisdom which is of good, and more of the mere knowledge which is of evil. They penetrate, however rudderless or compassless, into the vast ocean of the 'light ineffable'."

Edgar Allan Poe, American Poet

Philosophy, Madness, Intelligence, Insight, Dream

16

"America makes prodigious mistakes, America has colossal faults, but one thing cannot be denied: America is always on the move. She may be going to Hell, of course, but at least she isn't standing still."

"America makes prodigious mistakes, America has colossal faults, but one thing cannot be denied: America is always on the move. She may be going to Hell, of course, but at least she isn't standing still."

e. e. cummings, American Poet

American, America, Faults, Hell, May

16

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