"Ah, many a one has started forth with hope and purpose high; Has fought throughout a weary life, and passed all pleasure by; Has burst all flowery chains by which men aye have been enthralled; Has been stone-deaf to voices sweet, that softly, sadly called; Has scorned the flashing goblet with the bubbles on its brim; Has turned his back on jewelled hands that madly beckoned him; Has, in a word, condemned himself to follow out his plan By stern and lonely labor--and has died, a conquered man!"

3 likes

Source: George Arnold (1866). “Drift: A Sea-shore Idyl : and Other Poems”, p.60

About the author

George Arnold

Inventor

George Arnold was a prominent thinker known for his exploration of freedom and control, particularly in the context of personal autonomy and societal structures.

All quotes by George Arnold →

Same author

More quotes by George Arnold

See all →
George Arnold Inventor

"O'er hill and field October's glories fade; O'er hill and field the blackbirds southward fly; The brown leaves rustle down the forest glade, Where naked branches make a fitful shade, And the lost blooms of Autumn withered lie."

Read quote
George Arnold Inventor

"A silence reigns upon the air, Upon the pansies by the shore, Upon the violets, pale and fair, Upon the willow, bending o'er; The reeds and lilies silent grow, The dark green waters silent sleep, Save when the summer breezes blow, Or silvery minnows leap."

Read quote
George Arnold Inventor

"O sweet September, thy first breezes bring The dry leaf's rustle and the squirrel's laughter, The cool fresh air whence health and vigor spring And promise of exceeding joy hereafter."

Read quote
George Arnold Inventor

"But leave me to my beer! Gold is dross, love is loss, so if I gulp my sorrows down, or see them drown in foamy draughts of old nut-brown, then I do wear the crown, without the cross!"

Read quote