Swans quotes
144 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
Explore further
Browse quotes that often appear alongside swans — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
Quote collection
Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.
"What else can I do, a lame old man, but sing hymns to God? If I were a nightingale, I would do the nightingale's part; if I were a swan, I would do as a swan. But now I am a rational creature, and I ought to praise God. This is my work. I do it, nor will I desert my post, so long as I am allowed to keep it. And I ask you to join me in this same song."
"In economic life and history more generally, just about everything of consequence comes from black swans; ordinary events have paltry effects in the long term."
"The stiff rails were softened to swan's-down, and still fluttered down the snow."
"If I was a nightingale I would sing like a nightingale; if a swan, like a swan. But since I am a rational creature my role is to praise God."
"The Teutons have been singing the swan song ever since they entered the ranks of history. They have always confounded truth with death."
"If King Harold had had swans on his side, England would still be Saxon."
"The soul, O ganders, flies beyond the parks And far beyond the discords of the wind."
"Some moralist or mythological poet Compares the solitary soul to a swan; I am satisfied with that, Satisfied if a troubled mirror show it, Before that brief gleam of its life be gone."
"I was too young that time to value her, But now I know her. If she be a traitor, Why, so am I. We still have slept together, Rose at an instant, learned, played, eat together, And wheresoe'er we went, like Juno's swans, Still we went coupled and inseparable."
"Notes for a ballet, The Spell: ... Suddenly Sigmund hears the flutter of wings, and a group of wild swans flies across the moon ... Sigmund is astounded to see that their leader is part swan and part woman - unfortunately, divided lengthwise. She enchants Sigmund, who is careful not to make any poultry jokes."
"I've actually rented Bjork's swan dress. I know that's kind of recycling, but I saw An Inconvenient Truth."
"When we accept bad art because it's good politics, we're killing the swan to feed the chickens."
"And while we're on the subject of ducks, which we plainly are, the story, 'The Ugly Duckling' ought be banned as the central character wasn't a duckling or he wouldn't have grown up into a swan. He was a cygnet."
"The name came from, erm... us all just agreeing on a name that we liked. There was talk of Swans at first, but there was already a band called Swans, way back in the eighties. An American band. So we thought, well, we can't have them, and I think Andy said, "well what about Doves?" We ruminated it around the three of us and went, well, it's not so bad, it's all right."
