Quote collection
333 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Say not "a small event!" Why "small"? Costs it more pain that this ye call A "great event" should come to pass From that? Untwine me from the mass Of deeds which make up life, one deed Power shall fall short in or exceed!"
"Tis Man's to explore up and down, inch by inch, with the taper his reason."
"One and all We lend an ear-nay, Science takes thereto- Encourages the meanest who has racked Nature until he gains from her some fact, To state what truth is from his point of view, Mere pin-point though it be: since many such Conduce to make a whole, she bids our friend Come forward unabashed and haply lend His little life-experience to our much Of modern knowledge."
"I, painting from myself and to myself, Know what I do, am unmoved by men's blame Or their praise either."
"White shall not neutralize the black, nor good compensate bad in man, absolve him so; life's business being just the terrible choice."
"Of power does Man possess no particle: Of knowledge-just so much as show that still It ends in ignorance on every side."
"Earth being so good, would heaven seem best?"
"Women hate a debt as men a gift."
"Was there nought better than to enjoy? No feat which, done, would make time break, And let us pent-up creatures through Into eternity, our due? No forcing earth teach heaven's employ?"
"Ever judge of men by their professions. For though the bright moment of promising is but a moment, and cannot be prolonged, yet if sincere in its moment's extravagant goodness, why, trust it, and know the man by it, I say,- not by his performance; which is half the world's work, interfere as the world needs must with its accidents and circumstances: the profession was purely the man's own. I judge people by what they might be,- not are, nor will be."
"Are there not, dear Michael, Two points in the adventure of the diver,- One, when a beggar he prepares to plunge; One, when a prince he rises with his pearl? Festus, I plunge."
"A lion may die of an ass's kick."
"All the breath and the bloom of the year in the bag of one bee; All the wonder and wealth of the mine in the heart of one gem; In the core of one pearl all the shade and the shine of the sea; Breath and bloom, shade and shine,- wonder, wealth, and-how far above them- Truth, that's brighter than gem, Truth, that's purer than pearl,- Brightest truth, purest trust in the universe- all were for me In the kiss of one girl."
"All good things Are ours, nor soul helps flesh more, now, than flesh helps soul!"
"I say, the acknowledgment of God in ChristAccepted by thy reason, solves for theeAll questions in the earth and out of it,And has so far advanced thee to be wise."
"Italy, my Italy! Queen Mary's saying serves for me (When fortune's malice Lost her Calais): "Open my heart, and you will see Graved inside of it 'Italy.'""
"Sappho survives, because we sing her songs; And Eschylus, because we read his plays!"
"Shakespeare was of us, Milton was of us, Burns, Shelley, were with us. They watch from their graves!"
"O woman-country! wooed not wed, Loved all the more by earth's male-lands, Laid to their hearts instead."
"My care is for myself; Myself am whole and sole reality."