Quotes by Poet | Beyond Motive 9/304

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Quotes by Poet

"Once we are lost unto ourselves, everything else is lost to us."

"Once we are lost unto ourselves, everything else is lost to us."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German Poet

Existence, Self, Loss, Truth, Identity

32

"Say what you will, 'tis better to be left than never to have been loved."

"Say what you will, 'tis better to be left than never to have been loved."

William Congreve, English Poet

31

"I was very careful never to take an interesting job. If you have an interesting job, you get interested in it."

"I was very careful never to take an interesting job. If you have an interesting job, you get interested in it."

Mary Oliver, American Poet

31

"I went to London because, for me, it was the home of literature. I went there because of Dickens and Shakespeare."

"I went to London because, for me, it was the home of literature. I went there because of Dickens and Shakespeare."

Ben Okri, Nigerian Poet

Home, Literature, London, Shakespeare

31

"Ignorance is not innocence but sin."

"Ignorance is not innocence but sin."

Robert Browning Hamilton, American Poet

Ignorance, Innocence, Sin

31

"The paths of glory lead but to the grave."

"The paths of glory lead but to the grave."

Thomas Gray, English Poet

31

"What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

"What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and in intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

Self, Independence, Solitude, Greatness, Opinion

31

"The man who has nothing to boast of but his illustrious ancestry is like the potato - the best part under ground."

"The man who has nothing to boast of but his illustrious ancestry is like the potato - the best part under ground."

Thomas Overbury, English Poet

Awareness, Ancestry, Man, Nothing

31

"Every journey into the past is complicated by delusions, false memories, false namings of real events."

"Every journey into the past is complicated by delusions, false memories, false namings of real events."

Adrienne Rich, American Poet

Events, Journey, Memories, Past

31

"We do not remember days, we remember moments."

"We do not remember days, we remember moments."

Cesare Pavese, Italian Poet

Memory, Moments

31

"The possibility of a scientific treatment of history means a wider experience, a greater maturity of practical reason, and finally a fuller realization of certain basic ideas regarding the nature of life and time."

"The possibility of a scientific treatment of history means a wider experience, a greater maturity of practical reason, and finally a fuller realization of certain basic ideas regarding the nature of life and time."

Muhammed Iqbal, Indian Poet

History, Life, Nature, Time

31

"The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come."

"The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come."

James Whitcomb Riley, American Poet

Determination, Enthusiasm, Discouragement, Energy

31

"Understanding is the other name of love. If you don't understand, you can't love."

"Understanding is the other name of love. If you don't understand, you can't love."

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Poet

Relationship, Love, Understanding, Empathy, Connection

31

"Slogans seem to be dead, this world is now busy chanting fears of lost democracy."

"Slogans seem to be dead, this world is now busy chanting fears of lost democracy."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Politics, Democracy, Chaos, Society

31

"With life as short as a half taken breath, don't plant anything but love."

"With life as short as a half taken breath, don't plant anything but love."

Rumi, Persian Poet

Life, Love, Meaning, Inspirational

31

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

Inspirational, Enthusiasm, Nothing

31

"You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience."

"You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience."

Stanislaw Lec, Polish Poet

Preparation, First, Patience

30

"Beauty will be convulsive or will not be at all."

"Beauty will be convulsive or will not be at all."

Andre Breton, French Poet

30

"They were looking for a stable, but we didn't have one. In fact, we weren't very stable ourselves."

"They were looking for a stable, but we didn't have one. In fact, we weren't very stable ourselves."

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, American Poet

30

"They that possess the prince possess the laws."

"They that possess the prince possess the laws."

John Dryden, English Poet

30

"The more perfect a thing is, the more susceptible to good and bad treatment it is."

"The more perfect a thing is, the more susceptible to good and bad treatment it is."

Dante Alighieri, Italian Poet

Perfection, Treatment

30

"Shuddering under the autumn stars, each year, the head sinks lower and lower."

"Shuddering under the autumn stars, each year, the head sinks lower and lower."

Georg Trakl, Austrian Poet

Nature, Autumn, Stars

30

"Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon."

"Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon."

C. Day Lewis, English Poet

Heart, Light, Summer

30

"My mind to me a kingdom is, such present joys therein I find, that it excels all other bliss."

"My mind to me a kingdom is, such present joys therein I find, that it excels all other bliss."

Edward Dyer, English Poet

30

"If the grandfather of the grandfather of Jesus had known what was hidden within him, he would have stood humble and awe-struck before his soul."

"If the grandfather of the grandfather of Jesus had known what was hidden within him, he would have stood humble and awe-struck before his soul."

Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese Philosopher

Soul, Poet, Khalil Gibran

30

"Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words."

"Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words."

Edgar Allan Poe, American Poet

Beauty, Poetry, Creation, Words

30

"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are."

"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are."

Bertolt Brecht, German Poet

30

"He who seeks rest finds boredom. He who seeks work finds rest."

"He who seeks rest finds boredom. He who seeks work finds rest."

Dylan Thomas, Welsh Poet

Work, Boredom, Rest

30

"Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own."

"Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German Poet

Language, Knowledge, Self, Understanding

30

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."

e. e. cummings, American Poet

30

"A politician should have three hats. One for throwing into the ring, one for talking through, and one for pulling rabbits out of if elected."

"A politician should have three hats. One for throwing into the ring, one for talking through, and one for pulling rabbits out of if elected."

Carl Sandburg, American Poet

Talk, Talking, Carl Sandberg

30

"O Polly, you might have toyed and kissed, by keeping men off, you keep them on."

"O Polly, you might have toyed and kissed, by keeping men off, you keep them on."

John Gay, English Poet

30

"The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope."

"The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope."

Wendell Berry, American Poet

Hope, Care, Earth, Responsibility

30

"For every person who has ever lived there has come, at last, a spring he will never see. Glory then in the springs that are yours."

"For every person who has ever lived there has come, at last, a spring he will never see. Glory then in the springs that are yours."

Pam Brown, American Poet

Glory, Spring, Will

30

"The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms."

"The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms."

Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Poet

Mindfulness, Mind, Peace, Beauty, Nature

30

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."

Robert Frost, American Poet

Relationship, Home

30

"Death is the mother of Beauty; hence from her, alone, shall come fulfillment to our dreams and our desires."

"Death is the mother of Beauty; hence from her, alone, shall come fulfillment to our dreams and our desires."

Wallace Stevens, American Poet

Death, Dreams, Mother, Beauty

30

"If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for the Creator, there is no poverty."

"If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for the Creator, there is no poverty."

Rainer Maria Rilke, German Poet

Life, Blame, Poor, Poverty

30

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"

Maya Angelou, American Poet

Positive, Heroes

30

"On wrongs swift vengeance waits."

"On wrongs swift vengeance waits."

Alexander Pope, English Poet

Justice, Vengeance, Wrongs

30

"A discrete series is a series of terms each of which is empirically derived, each one of which is empirically true. And this is the reason for the fragmentary character of those poems."

"A discrete series is a series of terms each of which is empirically derived, each one of which is empirically true. And this is the reason for the fragmentary character of those poems."

George Oppen, American Poet

Character, Poems, Reason

30

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."

Maya Angelou, American Poet

Attitude, Change

30

"The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation."

"The affairs of the world will go on forever. Do not delay the practice of meditation."

Milarepa, Tibetan Poet

Delay, Meditation, Practice, Will

30

"Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon."

"Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon."

Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Poet

30

"Your eyes need to be opened wider than your heart, when love is blinder than your eyes."

"Your eyes need to be opened wider than your heart, when love is blinder than your eyes."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Perception, Eye, Heart, Love

30

"Nothing happens unless first we dream."

"Nothing happens unless first we dream."

Carl Sandburg, American Poet

Dream, First, Nothing

30

"Wit is the only wall between us and the dark."

"Wit is the only wall between us and the dark."

Mark Van Doren, American Poet

30

"Because thou must not dream, thou need not despair."

"Because thou must not dream, thou need not despair."

Matthew Arnold, English Poet

30

"For whoever is lonely there is a tavern."

"For whoever is lonely there is a tavern."

Georg Trakl, Austrian Poet

Socialization, Lonely

29

"A line will take us hours maybe; Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought, our stitching and unstinting has been naught."

"A line will take us hours maybe; Yet if it does not seem a moment's thought, our stitching and unstinting has been naught."

William Butler Yeats, Irish Poet

29

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