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The Best Quotations

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Contents

Quotes in verse

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Poetry quotes, little poems and fragments, phrases from songs.


  Meaning of Life
Robert FrostWe dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

7 likes
  
  Human Being
John DrydenAll human things are subject to decay,
And, when fate summons, monarchs must obey.

—  John Dryden, 1631-1700, English poet

4 likes
  
  Mankind
DanteO human race, born to fly upward,
wherefore at a little wind dost thou so fall?

—  Dante, 1265-1321, Italian poet

5 likes
  
  Identity
Emily DickinsonI am nobody! Who are you?
Are you a nobody, too?

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

4 likes
Emily DickinsonTill it has loved, no man or woman can become itself.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  World
T. S. EliotThis is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

8 likes
Wallace StevensThe way through the world
Is more difficult to find than the way beyond it.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

4 likes
Robert FrostSome say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

4 likes
Robert FrostThe world has room to make a bear feel free;
The universe seems cramped to you and me.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

3 likes
Alfred TennysonGleams that untravell'd world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Emily DickinsonA word is dead when it is said, some say.
I say it just begins to live that day.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Good & Evil
W.H. AudenEvil is unspectacular and always human,
And shares our bed and eats at our own table.

—  W.H. Auden, 1907-1973, British poet

  
  Conscience
T. S. EliotYour burden is not to clear your conscience
But to learn how to bear the burdens on your conscience.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

4 likes
  
  Life
Akis PanouMy whole life is a cigarette
that I don’t like and, still, I smoke it.

—  Akis Panou, 1933-2000, Greek folk song writer

6 likes
Bob MarleyLove the life you live.
live the life you love.

—  Bob Marley, 1945-1981, Jamaican singer

3 likes
Emily DickinsonTo be alive – is Power.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Death
Oscar WildeFor he who lives more lives than one
More deaths than one must die.

—  Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, Irish writer

7 likes
T. S. EliotThere is one who remembers the way to your door: Life you may evade, but Death you shall not.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

6 likes
Robert FrostForgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee
And I'll forgive Thy great big one on me.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

5 likes
John DrydenAll human things are subject to decay,
And, when fate summons, monarchs must obey.

—  John Dryden, 1631-1700, English poet

4 likes
Rainer Maria RilkeWhen you go to bed, don't leave bread or milk
on the table: it attracts the dead.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

Louise GlückI think I can remember being dead. Many times, in winter, I approached Zeus. Tell me, I would ask him, how can I endure the earth?

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

Emily DickinsonDying is a wild night and a new road.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Suicide
Dorothy ParkerRazors pain you, Rivers are damp, Acids stain you, And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren't lawful, Nooses give, Gas smells awful.
You might as well live.

—  Dorothy Parker, 1893-1967, American writer, poet, satirist, critic

19 likes
  
  Superstition
Rainer Maria RilkeWhen you go to bed, don't leave bread or milk
on the table: it attracts the dead.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

  
  Paranormal
Emily DickinsonYou don’t have to be a house to be haunted.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Metaphysics
Sri AurobindoOnly when Eternity takes Time by the hand,
Only when infinity weds the finite's thought,
Can man be free from himself and live with God.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

  
  God
Sylvia PlathI talk to God but the sky is empty.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

5 likes
Emily DickinsonThey say that God is everywhere, and yet we always think of Him as somewhat of a recluse.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

1 likes
Giorgos SeferisWhat is God? And what is not God? And what is in between?

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Antonio MachadoLast night as I was sleeping, I dreamt
– marvellous error! –
That it was God I had here inside my heart.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Right & Wrong
T. S. EliotThe last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

4 likes
Robert FrostOne luminary clock against the sky
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

3 likes
  
  Prayer
Giorgos SeferisNo matter how far I look, I see kneeling people
–like they are praying.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

  
  Meditation
William BlakeTo see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower.
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

6 likes
Sylvia PlathI Am Vertical
But I would rather be horizontal.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil...
It is more natural to me, lying down.
Then the sky and I are in open conversation.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

  
  Heaven
Odysseas ElytisYes, Paradise was not a nostalgia.
Nor, much more, a reward.
It was a right.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

Emily DickinsonParting is all we know of Heaven,
and all we need of Hell.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Hell
Dorothy ParkerYou think You're frightening me with Your hell, don't You? You think Your hell is worse than mine.

—  Dorothy Parker, 1893-1967, American writer, poet, satirist, critic

5 likes
Robert LowellI myself am hell;
nobody's here.

—  Robert Lowell, 1917-1977, American poet

  
  The Truth
Wallace StevensPerhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

5 likes
Lord ByronTis strange - but true; for Truth is always strange,
Stranger than Fiction.

—  Lord Byron, 1788-1824, British poet

3 likes
Robert FrostMost of the change we think we see in life
Is due to truths being in and out of favor.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

3 likes
  
  Transience
Rainer Maria RilkeLet everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

Rudyard KiplingCities and Thrones and Powers
Stand in Time's eye,
Almost as long as flowers,
Which daily die.

—  Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936, English writer, Nobel 1907

  
  Present
HoraceEnjoy the present smiling hour,
And put it out of Fortune's power.

—  Horace, 65-8 BC, Roman poet

4 likes
  
  Timing
Yannis RitsosWe should be ready
Every hour is our hour.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

6 likes
  
  Time
Constantine KavafyHalf past twelve. How the time has gone by.
Half past twelve. How the years have gone by.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Since Nine O’Clock

3 likes
Robert FrostOne luminary clock against the sky
Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

3 likes
  
  Past
Wallace StevensOur bloom is gone. We are the fruit thereof.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

4 likes
T. S. EliotFor last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

3 likes
  
  Future
Giorgos SeferisDeleting a piece from the past is like deleting a corresponding piece from the future.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

  
  Childhood
Louise GlückWe look at the world once, in childhood.
The rest is memory.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

5 likes
  
  Old Age
Robert BrowningCome grow old with me.
The best is yet to be.

—  Robert Browning, 1812-1889, British poet

12 likes
  
  Ending
T. S. EliotThis is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

8 likes
Robert FrostSome say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

4 likes
Walt WhitmanO CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting.

—  Walt Whitman, 1819-1892, American poet

3 likes
Robert LowellIn the end, there is no end.

—  Robert Lowell, 1917-1977, American poet

  
  Nature
Antonio MachadoThe deepest words
of the wise man teach us
the same as the whistle of the wind when it blows
or the sound of the water when it is flowing.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Seasons
Odysseas ElytisWith the first drop of rain
the summer was killed.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

Emily DickinsonNovember always seemed to me the Norway of the year.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Light
Alfred TennysonGod and Nature met in light.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Sri AurobindoBut few are those who tread the sunlit path;
Only the pure in soul can walk in light.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

Emily DickinsonThere's a certain slant of light,
On winter afternoons,
That oppresses, like the weight
Of cathedral tunes.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Shadow
Bertolt BrechtEvents cast long shadows before.
One such event would be a war.
But how are shadows to be seen
When total darkness fills the screen?

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

5 likes
T. S. EliotBetween the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

3 likes
  
  Rain
Robert FrostOh, come forth into the storm and rout
And be my love in the rain.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

4 likes
Odysseas ElytisWith the first drop of rain
the summer was killed.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Earth
Louise GlückLike a child, the earth's going to sleep, or so the story goes.
But I'm not tired, it says.
And the mother says, You may not be tired but I'm tired.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Water
Giorgos SeferisI'm sorry I let go
a wide river between my fingers
without drinking a drop.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

  
  Sea
Fernando PessoaGod gave the sea the danger and the abyss,
but it was in it that He mirrored the sky.

—  Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer

3 likes
Giorgos SeferisThe secrets of the sea are forgotten at the seashore.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

  
  Night
Dinos ChristianopoulosDid the night lead me me to these streets?
or did these streets lead me to the night?

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

3 likes
  
  Darkness
Wallace StevensThrow away the light, the definitions, and say what you see in the dark.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

7 likes
  
  Fire
Antonio MachadoI thought my fire was out, and stirred the ashes….
I burnt my fingers.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

5 likes
Odysseas ElytisAlways, always you pass through fire to reach the shining.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Flowers
Emily DickinsonThe lovely flowers embarrass me. They make me regret I am not a bee.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Face
T. S. EliotThere will be time, there will be time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

2 likes
  
  Character
Louise GlückOf two sisters
one is always the watcher,
one the dancer.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

5 likes
  
  Eyes
Sylvia PlathI shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my eyes and all is born again.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

5 likes
  
  Soul
Bob DylanI gave her my heart but she wanted my soul.

—  Bob Dylan, 1941-, American singer [Nobel 2016]

7 likes
Dionysios SolomosThe eyes of my soul are always open, always awake!

—  Dionysios Solomos, 1797-1857, Greek poet

4 likes
Sylvia PlathI must get my soul back from you; I am killing my flesh without it.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

2 likes
Louise GlückThe soul is silent.
If it speaks at all
it speaks in dreams.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

Edgar Allan PoeAnd my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor, Shall be lifted
Nevermore!

—  Edgar Allan Poe, 1809-1849, American writer

  
  Mind
Louise GlückThat's why I'm not to be trusted.
Because a wound to the heart is also a wound to the mind.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Self-deprecation
Fernando PessoaI am nothing.
I'll never be anything.
I couldn't want to be something.
Apart from that, I have in me all the dreams in the world.

—  Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer

4 likes
Emily DickinsonI am nobody! Who are you?
Are you a nobody, too?

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

4 likes
  
  Perspective
Fernando PessoaWe are two abysses — a well staring at the sky.

—  Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer

4 likes
Walt WhitmanTo me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle.

—  Walt Whitman, 1819-1892, American poet

3 likes
  
  Enjoy Life
HoraceEnjoy the present smiling hour,
And put it out of Fortune's power.

—  Horace, 65-8 BC, Roman poet

4 likes
Alfred TennysonI cannot rest from travel; I will drink Life to the lees.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
  
  Optimism
Robert BrowningCome grow old with me.
The best is yet to be.

—  Robert Browning, 1812-1889, British poet

12 likes
  
  Illusions
W.H. AudenWe would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.

—  W.H. Auden, 1907-1973, British poet

  
  Nostalgia
DanteThere is no greater sorrow
Than to be mindful of the happy time
In misery.

—  Dante, 1265-1321, Italian poet

5 likes
Giorgos SeferisTo feel nostalgia for you place
being in your place
nothing is more bitter.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Odysseas ElytisYes, Paradise was not a nostalgia.
Nor, much more, a reward.
It was a right.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Memory
Yannis RitsosYou don’t have to remember.
We Know.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

5 likes
Louise GlückWe look at the world once, in childhood.
The rest is memory.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

5 likes
Louise GlückMy memory is like a basement filled with old papers:
nothing ever changes.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Forgetting
Louise GlückAt first I saw you everywhere.
Now only in certain things, at longer intervals.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

6 likes
Giorgos SeferisDeleting a piece from the past is like deleting a corresponding piece from the future.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Louise GlückWhat was difficult was the travel, which, on arrival, is forgotten.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Smile
Emily DickinsonThey might not need me; but they might.
I'll let my head be just in sight;
A smile as small as mine might be
Precisely their necessity.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

Sylvia PlathIf the moon smiled, she would resemble you.
You leave the same impression
Of something beautiful, but annihilating.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

  
  Appearance
Dorothy ParkerMen seldom make passes
At girls who wear glasses.

—  Dorothy Parker, 1893-1967, American writer, poet, satirist, critic

2 likes
  
  Beauty
John KeatsBeauty is truth, truth beauty,-that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

—  John Keats, 1795-1821, English poet

2 likes
Emily DickinsonBeauty is not the cause of something, it is what it is.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

Sylvia PlathIf the moon smiled, she would resemble you.
You leave the same impression
Of something beautiful, but annihilating.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

  
  Health
Philip SidneyThe ingredients of health and long life, are great temperance, open air, easy labor, and little care.

—  Philip Sidney, 1554-1586, English poet & courtier

3 likes
  
  Heart
Sylvia PlathI took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart.
I am, I am, I am.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

3 likes
Louise GlückThat's why I'm not to be trusted.
Because a wound to the heart is also a wound to the mind.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

Emily DickinsonBut a Book is only the Heart’s Portrait- every Page a Pulse.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

Emily DickinsonThe Heart wants what it wants
or else it does not care.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Destiny
William BlakeSome are born to sweet delight.
Some are born to endless night.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

6 likes
  
  Feelings
Odysseas ElytisI have something transparent and inexplicable to say
Like a bird song in time of war.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

Rainer Maria RilkeLet everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

  
  Joy
William WordsworthThen my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils.

—  William Wordsworth, 1770-1850, English poet

2 likes
Robert BrowningEvery joy is gain
And gain is gain, however small.

—  Robert Browning, 1812-1889, British poet

2 likes
  
  Excitement
Emily DickinsonThe soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

1 likes
  
  Admiration
William BlakeTyger! Tyger! burning bright In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

7 likes
  
  Disappointment
Giorgos SeferisWherever I travel, Greece hurts me.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Sylvia PlathPeople or stars
Regard me sadly, I disappoint them.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

  
  Sorrow
DanteThere is no greater sorrow
Than to be mindful of the happy time
In misery.

—  Dante, 1265-1321, Italian poet

5 likes
  
  Despair
Dinos ChristianopoulosLet's exchange body and loneliness.
I shall give you despair to stop being an animal,
you will give me strength to stop being a wreck.

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

7 likes
Charles BaudelaireI am a cemetery abhorred by the moon.

—  Charles Baudelaire, 1821-1867, French poet

5 likes
Louise GlückYou know what despair is;
then winter should have meaning for you.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Crying
John KeatsShed no tear! O shed no tear!
The flower will bloom another year.

—  John Keats, 1795-1821, English poet

4 likes
  
  Virtue
Sri AurobindoBut few are those who tread the sunlit path;
Only the pure in soul can walk in light.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

  
  Firmness
Bob DylanShe never stumbles,
she's got no place to fall.

—  Bob Dylan, 1941-, American singer [Nobel 2016]

2 likes
  
  Intelligence
Wallace StevensThe poem must resist the intelligence
Almost successfully.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

4 likes
  
  Wisdom
T. S. EliotWhere is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

4 likes
Bob MarleyDon’t gain the world and lose your soul. Wisdom is better than silver and gold.

—  Bob Marley, 1945-1981, Jamaican singer

3 likes
William WordsworthWisdom is oft-times nearer when we stoop
Than when we soar.

—  William Wordsworth, 1770-1850, English poet

2 likes
Antonio MachadoThe deepest words
of the wise man teach us
the same as the whistle of the wind when it blows
or the sound of the water when it is flowing.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Self-reliance
Kostas VarnalisAnd if your pit is too deep,
it is your duty to use your hands to get up.

—  Kostas Varnalis, 1883-1974, Greek poet

2 likes
Sri AurobindoThe great are strongest when they stand alone,
A God-given might of being is their force.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

  
  Bravery
Constantine KavafyAnd even more honor is due to them
when they foresee (as many do foresee)
that in the end Ephialtis will make his appearance,
that the Medes will break through after all.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Thermopylae

4 likes
Alfred TennysonTheirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

3 likes
Alfred TennysonCannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Helen KellerWe could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.

—  Helen Keller, 1880-1968, American writer

  
  Self-knowledge
RumiDoing as others told me, I was blind.
Coming when others called me, I was lost.
Then I left everyone, myself as well.
Then I found everyone, myself as well.

—  Rumi, 1207-1273, Persian mystic & poet

8 likes
  
  Mercy
William BlakeMercy, pity, and peace,
Are the world's release.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

3 likes
  
  Patience
Helen KellerWe could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.

—  Helen Keller, 1880-1968, American writer

  
  Resilience
Dinos ChristianopoulosThey tried to bury me but they didn't know I was a seed.

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

25 likes
Antonio MachadoI thought my fire was out, and stirred the ashes….
I burnt my fingers.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

5 likes
Rainer Maria RilkeLet everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

4 likes
  
  Greatness
Alfred TennysonTo strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Sri AurobindoThe great are strongest when they stand alone,
A God-given might of being is their force.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

  
  Sin
Odysseas ElytisYou have a taste of storm on your lips
–But where have you been?

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

Antonio MachadoIn my heart I had the thorn of a passion.
I managed to take it off one day.
I no longer feel my heart.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Faults
Dorothy ParkerFour be the things I'd have been better without: love, curiosity, freckles and doubt.

—  Dorothy Parker, 1893-1967, American writer, poet, satirist, critic

2 likes
  
  Vanity
T. S. EliotHalf the harm that is done in this world
Is due to people who want to feel important.
They don't mean to do harm — but the harm does not interest them.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

2 likes
  
  Ineffectiveness
Constantine KavafyYet we’re sure to fail. Up there,
high on the walls, the dirge has already begun.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Trojans

3 likes
Constantine Kavafy[He] tried to start an intrigue,
do something, come up with a plan;
but he failed pitifully and was reduced to nothing.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Orophernis

3 likes
Antonio MachadoWhat have you done with the garden that was entrusted to you?

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Greed
William BlakeMore! More! is the cry of a mistaken soul.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

2 likes
  
  Madness
Emily DickinsonPardon My Sanity In A World Insane.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

2 likes
  
  Wickedness
W.H. AudenEvil is unspectacular and always human,
And shares our bed and eats at our own table.

—  W.H. Auden, 1907-1973, British poet

  
  Pettiness
Odysseas ElytisThe sun is erupting inside us and we keep our palms on our mouths scared.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Inaction
W.H. AudenWe would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.

—  W.H. Auden, 1907-1973, British poet

  
  Scoundrels & Villains
Bertolt BrechtOh the shark has pretty teeth dear,
And he shows them pearly white
Just a jack-knife has Macheath dear
And he keeps it out of sight.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

6 likes
  
  Refusal
Wallace StevensAfter the final no, there comes a yes,
and on that yes the future world depends

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

5 likes
  
  Doubt
William BlakeIf the Sun and Moon should ever doubt, they'd immediately go out.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

2 likes
  
  Anger
Emily DickinsonAnger as soon as fed is dead-
‘Tis starving makes it fat.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Running away
Emily DickinsonParting is all we know of Heaven,
and all we need of Hell.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Relationships
Sylvia PlathI lean to you, numb as a fossil. Tell me I'm here.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

4 likes
Robert LowellWe wished our two souls
might return like gulls
to the rock. In the end,
the water was too cold for us.

—  Robert Lowell, 1917-1977, American poet

  
  Influence
Dinos ChristianopoulosThey tried to bury me but they didn't know I was a seed.

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

25 likes
  
  Love
Kostis PalamasI met Love
I have lived you now, Life!

—  Kostis Palamas, 1859-1943, Greek poet

3 likes
W.H. AudenI’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street.

—  W.H. Auden, 1907-1973, British poet

3 likes
William BlakeLove seeketh only self to please,
To bind another to its delight,
Joys in another's loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heaven's despite.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

2 likes
Bob MarleyOne love, one heart,
Let's get together and feel alright.

—  Bob Marley, 1945-1981, Jamaican singer

2 likes
Alfred TennysonTis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Alfred TennysonWho is wise in love, love most, say least.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Odysseas ElytisEverything I love is born unceasingly
Everything I love is always at the beginning.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

Louise GlückEven before you touched me,
I belonged to you;
all you had to do was look at me.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

Louise GlückFrom the beginning of time, in childhood, I thought that pain meant I was not loved. It meant I loved.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

W.H. AudenHe was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

—  W.H. Auden, 1907-1973, British poet

Emily DickinsonTill it has loved, no man or woman can become itself.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Kiss
Sylvia PlathKiss me, and you will see how important I am.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

5 likes
John KeatsYou are always new, the last of your kisses was ever the sweetest.

—  John Keats, 1795-1821, English poet

3 likes
Odysseas ElytisAs the kiss knows you, no one knows you.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

Odysseas ElytisYou have a taste of storm on your lips
–But where have you been?

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

Odysseas ElytisYou were light before my eyes.
Love before Love
And when the kiss took you,
Woman.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Men & Women
John DrydenHere lies my wife: here let her lie!
Now she's at rest, and so am I.

—  John Dryden, 1631-1700, English poet

2 likes
  
  Seduction
John KeatsThe day is gone, and all its sweets are gone!
Sweet voice, sweet lips, soft hand, and softer breast.

—  John Keats, 1795-1821, English poet

5 likes
  
  Eroticism
RumiWhen I am with you, we stay up all night.
When you’re not here, I can’t go to sleep.

—  Rumi, 1207-1273, Persian mystic & poet

6 likes
  
  Family
Louise GlückOf two sisters
one is always the watcher,
one the dancer.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

5 likes
  
  Friendship
Emily DickinsonMy friends are my estate. Forgive me then the avarice to hoard them!

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Meetings
T. S. EliotThere will be time, there will be time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

2 likes
  
  Trust
Alfred TennysonTrust me not at all, or all in all.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

3 likes
  
  Reciprocity
Dinos ChristianopoulosLet's exchange body and loneliness.
I shall give you despair to stop being an animal,
you will give me strength to stop being a wreck.

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

7 likes
  
  Brevity
Alfred TennysonWho is wise in love, love most, say least.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
  
  Silence
Sylvia PlathThe silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

2 likes
Odysseas ElytisAll cypresses show midnight.
All fingers
Silence.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Seeing
William BlakeTo see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower.
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

6 likes
Alfred TennysonThings seen are mightier than things heard.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

4 likes
Bob DylanHow many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?

—  Bob Dylan, 1941-, American singer [Nobel 2016]

3 likes
Yannis RitsosIf you can’t see it, it’s like I don’t have it.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

Louise GlückEven before you touched me,
I belonged to you;
all you had to do was look at me.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Hiding
Bertolt BrechtOh the shark has pretty teeth dear,
And he shows them pearly white
Just a jack-knife has Macheath dear
And he keeps it out of sight.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

6 likes
  
  Secrets
Robert FrostWe dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

7 likes
Giorgos SeferisThe secrets of the sea are forgotten at the seashore.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

  
  Forgiveness
Robert FrostForgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee
And I'll forgive Thy great big one on me.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

5 likes
  
  Advice
Louise GlückI think I can remember being dead. Many times, in winter, I approached Zeus. Tell me, I would ask him, how can I endure the earth?

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Submission
Giorgos SeferisNo matter how far I look, I see kneeling people
–like they are praying.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

  
  Betrayal
T. S. EliotThe last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

4 likes
Constantine KavafyAnd even more honor is due to them
when they foresee (as many do foresee)
that in the end Ephialtis will make his appearance,
that the Medes will break through after all.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Thermopylae

4 likes
  
  Blame
Bob MarleyI know that I'm not perfect and that I don't claim to be,
so before you point your fingers make sure your hands are clean.

—  Bob Marley, 1945-1981, Jamaican singer

6 likes
  
  Solitude
Dinos ChristianopoulosLet's exchange body and loneliness.
I shall give you despair to stop being an animal,
you will give me strength to stop being a wreck.

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

7 likes
Constantine KavafyWith no consideration, no pity, no shame,
they have built walls around me, thick and high.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Walls

4 likes
Fernando PessoaI have no ambitions nor desires
To be a poet is not my ambition,
It's simply my way of being alone.

—  Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer

4 likes
Robert BrowningWho hears music feels his solitude
Peopled at once.

—  Robert Browning, 1812-1889, British poet

3 likes
Odysseas ElytisWhat I like is my loneliness.
No one comes close.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

Rainer Maria RilkeI am too alone in the world, and yet not alone enough
to make every hour holy.

—  Rainer Maria Rilke, 1875-1926, Czech-German poet

Robert LowellI myself am hell;
nobody's here.

—  Robert Lowell, 1917-1977, American poet

Dinos ChristianopoulosOf all abstract nouns
does it matter to exclude loneliness?

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

  
  Justice
Yannis RitsosI believe that the primary justice is the fair distribution of bread.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

6 likes
  
  Power
Rudyard KiplingCities and Thrones and Powers
Stand in Time's eye,
Almost as long as flowers,
Which daily die.

—  Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936, English writer, Nobel 1907

  
  Kings
Wallace StevensThe only emperor is the emperor of ice cream.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

3 likes
  
  Freedom
Fernando PessoaNot pleasure, not glory, not power: freedom, only freedom.

—  Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer

3 likes
Sri AurobindoOnly when Eternity takes Time by the hand,
Only when infinity weds the finite's thought,
Can man be free from himself and live with God.

—  Sri Aurobindo, 1872-1950, Indian nationalist, yogi & philosopher

  
  Oppression
Emily DickinsonThere's a certain slant of light,
On winter afternoons,
That oppresses, like the weight
Of cathedral tunes.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Barbarism
Walt WhitmanI sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world.

—  Walt Whitman, 1819-1892, American poet

2 likes
  
  Cities
Constantine KavafyYou won’t find a new country, won’t find another shore.
This city will always pursue you. You will walk
the same streets, grow old in the same neighborhoods,
will turn gray in these same houses.
You will always end up in this city.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ The city

3 likes
  
  Crowds
Carl SandburgI am the people — the mob — the crowd — the mass.
Do you know that all the great work of the world is done through me?

—  Carl Sandburg, 1878-1967, American poet

3 likes
  
  War & Peace
Bertolt BrechtEvents cast long shadows before.
One such event would be a war.
But how are shadows to be seen
When total darkness fills the screen?

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

5 likes
John DrydenWar seldom enters but where wealth allures.

—  John Dryden, 1631-1700, English poet

2 likes
Odysseas ElytisI have something transparent and inexplicable to say
Like a bird song in time of war.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Arms & Weapons
Bertolt BrechtOh the shark has pretty teeth dear,
And he shows them pearly white
Just a jack-knife has Macheath dear
And he keeps it out of sight.

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

6 likes
  
  Countries & Nations
William BlakeWhen nations grow old, the Arts grow cold,
And Commerce settles on every tree.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

3 likes
  
  Greeks
Kostas VarnalisHere lie the ashes of a people which used to be an eternal flame.

—  Kostas Varnalis, 1883-1974, Greek poet

6 likes
  
  Information
T. S. EliotWhere is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

4 likes
  
  Imitation
Giorgos SeferisThere is no immaculate conception in art.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

6 likes
  
  Questions
T. S. EliotOh my soul, be prepared for the coming of the Stranger.
Be prepared for him who knows how to ask questions.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

2 likes
Gertrude SteinThere ain't no answer.
There ain't gonna be any answer.
There never has been an answer.
There's your answer.

—  Gertrude Stein, 1874-1946, American writer

Rudyard KiplingI keep six honest serving-men: (They taught me all I knew)
Their names are What and Where and When and How and Why and Who.

—  Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936, English writer, Nobel 1907

  
  Revelations
RumiDoing as others told me, I was blind.
Coming when others called me, I was lost.
Then I left everyone, myself as well.
Then I found everyone, myself as well.

—  Rumi, 1207-1273, Persian mystic & poet

8 likes
  
  Truth & Lies
William BlakeA truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.

—  William Blake, 1757-1827, English poet & painter

5 likes
  
  Words
Yannis RitsosSometimes, by coincidence, they find the words
Their other meaning.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

  
  Language
RumiThis is how it always is when I finish a poem.
A great silence overcomes me
and I wonder why I ever thought to use language.

—  Rumi, 1207-1273, Persian mystic & poet

4 likes
T. S. EliotFor last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

3 likes
  
  Knowledge
T. S. EliotWhere is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

4 likes
  
  Curiosity
Alfred TennysonCome friends, it's not too late to seek a newer world.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
  
  Dance
Gertrude SteinYou look ridiculous if you dance
You look ridiculous if you don't dance
So you might as well dance

—  Gertrude Stein, 1874-1946, American writer

  
  Art
Giorgos SeferisThere is no immaculate conception in art.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

6 likes
  
  Music
Robert BrowningWho hears music feels his solitude
Peopled at once.

—  Robert Browning, 1812-1889, British poet

3 likes
William WordsworthThe music in my heart I bore
Long after it was heard no more.

—  William Wordsworth, 1770-1850, English poet

2 likes
  
  Imagination
Wallace StevensThe imagination is man's power over nature.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

3 likes
Emily DickinsonTo shut your eyes is to travel.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Poetry
Wallace StevensThrow away the light, the definitions, and say what you see in the dark.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

7 likes
Wallace StevensThe poem must resist the intelligence
Almost successfully.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

4 likes
Wallace StevensA poem is a meteor.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

4 likes
Robert FrostPoetry is a way of taking life by the throat.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

4 likes
RumiThis is how it always is when I finish a poem.
A great silence overcomes me
and I wonder why I ever thought to use language.

—  Rumi, 1207-1273, Persian mystic & poet

4 likes
Yannis RitsosMany verses are like doors,
locked doors in deserted houses.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

  
  Writing
Philip Sidney“Fool,” said my muse to me.
“Look in thy heart and write.”

—  Philip Sidney, 1554-1586, English poet & courtier

4 likes
Sylvia PlathI write only because
There is a voice within me
That will not be still.

—  Sylvia Plath, 1932-1963, American poet & writer

3 likes
  
  Books
Emily DickinsonBut a Book is only the Heart’s Portrait- every Page a Pulse.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

Emily DickinsonThere is no frigate like a book to take us lands away…

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Quotations
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeWhat is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole,
Its body brevity, and wit its soul.

—  Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772-1834, English poet & philosopher

2 likes
  
  Dreams
Edgar Allan PoeIs all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

—  Edgar Allan Poe, 1809-1849, American writer

5 likes
Lord ByronI had a dream, which was not all a dream.

—  Lord Byron, 1788-1824, British poet

2 likes
Louise GlückThe soul is silent.
If it speaks at all
it speaks in dreams.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

Antonio MachadoBetween living and dreaming there is a third thing.
Guess what.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

     (waking up)

Antonio MachadoLast night as I was sleeping, I dreamt
– marvellous error! –
That it was God I had here inside my heart.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Necessity
Emily DickinsonThey might not need me; but they might.
I'll let my head be just in sight;
A smile as small as mine might be
Precisely their necessity.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Hope
T. S. EliotI said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope,
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

3 likes
Emily DickinsonHope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul
and sings the tunes without the words
and never stops at all.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

1 likes
  
  Limits
Alfred TennysonGleams that untravell'd world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
  
  Desire
Emily DickinsonThe Heart wants what it wants
or else it does not care.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Promises
Robert FrostBut I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

4 likes
  
  Choices
T. S. EliotNeither way is better.
Both ways are necessary. It is also necessary
To make a choice between them.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

2 likes
  
  Vain Effort
Constantine KavafyOur efforts are those of men prone to disaster;
our efforts are like those of the Trojans.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Trojans

3 likes
Giorgos SeferisSo much pain so much life
they went to the abyss
for an empty shirt, for a Helen.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Yannis RitsosMany verses are like doors,
locked doors in deserted houses.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

  
  Quitting
Emily DickinsonFutile—the winds—
To a heart in port—
Done with the compass—
Done with the chart!

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

2 likes
  
  Accomplishment
Walt WhitmanO Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done!
The ship has weathered every wrack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting.

—  Walt Whitman, 1819-1892, American poet

3 likes
Alfred TennysonTo strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Odysseas ElytisAlways, always you pass through fire to reach the shining.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Searching
Alfred TennysonI follow up the quest despite of day and night and death and hell.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

9 likes
Wallace StevensThe way through the world
Is more difficult to find than the way beyond it.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

4 likes
Alfred TennysonCome friends, it's not too late to seek a newer world.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Rudyard KiplingI keep six honest serving-men: (They taught me all I knew)
Their names are What and Where and When and How and Why and Who.

—  Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936, English writer, Nobel 1907

Emily DickinsonI am out with lanterns, looking for myself.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Initiative
Antonio MachadoTravelers, there is no path,
paths are made by walking.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

7 likes
  
  Being Busy
Alfred TennysonSo many worlds, so much to do, so little done, such things to be.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
  
  Effort
Robert FrostBut I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

4 likes
  
  Experience
Emily DickinsonThe soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

1 likes
Emily DickinsonI have been bent and broken, but –I hope– into a better shape.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Change
Robert FrostMost of the change we think we see in life
Is due to truths being in and out of favor.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

3 likes
  
  Readiness
Yannis RitsosWe should be ready
Every hour is our hour.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

6 likes
Dionysios SolomosThe eyes of my soul are always open, always awake!

—  Dionysios Solomos, 1797-1857, Greek poet

4 likes
T. S. EliotOh my soul, be prepared for the coming of the Stranger.
Be prepared for him who knows how to ask questions.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

2 likes
Emily DickinsonThe soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

1 likes
  
  Determination
Alfred TennysonI follow up the quest despite of day and night and death and hell.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

9 likes
  
  Opportunity
Robert BrowningThis could but have happened once,
And we missed it, lost it forever.

—  Robert Browning, 1812-1889, British poet

2 likes
Giorgos SeferisI'm sorry I let go
a wide river between my fingers
without drinking a drop.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

  
  Passion
Antonio MachadoIn my heart I had the thorn of a passion.
I managed to take it off one day.
I no longer feel my heart.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Ways & Means
Robert FrostThe best way out is always through.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

2 likes
Rudyard KiplingI keep six honest serving-men: (They taught me all I knew)
Their names are What and Where and When and How and Why and Who.

—  Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936, English writer, Nobel 1907

  
  Adversity
Helen KellerWe could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world.

—  Helen Keller, 1880-1968, American writer

Emily DickinsonI have been bent and broken, but –I hope– into a better shape.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Easiness
Emily DickinsonIt is easy to work when the soul is at play.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Problems & Solutions
Constantine KavafyAnd now, what’s going to happen to us without barbarians?
They were, those people, a kind of solution.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Barbarians at the gate

2 likes
  
  Duty
Lord ByronI slept and dreamt that life was beauty;
I woke and found that life was duty.

—  Lord Byron, 1788-1824, British poet

6 likes
Constantine KavafyHonor to those who in the life they lead
define and guard a Thermopylae.
Never betraying what is right,
consistent and just in all they do.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Thermopylae

3 likes
Alfred TennysonTheirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

3 likes
  
  Work
Fernando PessoaGod wills, man dreams, the work is born.

—  Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, Portuguese poet & writer

3 likes
Emily DickinsonIt is easy to work when the soul is at play.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Career
Dinos Christianopoulos(career)
from the garden to the vase
then in the trash bin.

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

7 likes
  
  Exploitation
Antonio MachadoWhat have you done with the garden that was entrusted to you?

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Possessions
Bob MarleyDon’t gain the world and lose your soul. Wisdom is better than silver and gold.

—  Bob Marley, 1945-1981, Jamaican singer

3 likes
  
  Food
Yannis RitsosI believe that the primary justice is the fair distribution of bread.

—  Yannis Ritsos, 1909-1990, Greek poet

6 likes
  
  Temptation
T. S. EliotThe last temptation is the greatest treason:
To do the right deed for the wrong reason.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

4 likes
  
  Drinking
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeWater, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.

—  Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772-1834, English poet & philosopher

3 likes
  
  Drugs
Bob MarleyExcuse me while I light my spliff, good God I gotta take a lift.

—  Bob Marley, 1945-1981, Jamaican singer

3 likes
  
  Cause & Effect
Oscar WildeFor he who lives more lives than one
More deaths than one must die.

—  Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900, Irish writer

7 likes
Dinos ChristianopoulosDid the night lead me me to these streets?
or did these streets lead me to the night?

—  Dinos Christianopoulos, 1931-2020, Greek poet

3 likes
Emily DickinsonBeauty is not the cause of something, it is what it is.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Events
Bertolt BrechtEvents cast long shadows before.
One such event would be a war.
But how are shadows to be seen
When total darkness fills the screen?

—  Bertolt Brecht, 1898-1956, German writer

5 likes
  
  Reward
Odysseas ElytisYes, Paradise was not a nostalgia.
Nor, much more, a reward.
It was a right.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Happiness
Robert FrostHappiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

4 likes
Walt WhitmanHappiness, not in another place but this place… not for another hour, but this hour.

—  Walt Whitman, 1819-1892, American poet

3 likes
  
  Acknowledgment
Constantine KavafyYou long for something else, ache for other things:
praise from the Demos and the Sophists,
that hard-won, that priceless acclaim—
the Agora, the Theatre, the Crowns of Laurel.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ The Satrapy

3 likes
  
  Irreversible
Antonio MachadoAs you go, you open a path, and looking back you see a path that you will never walk again.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Loss
Bob MarleyDon’t gain the world and lose your soul. Wisdom is better than silver and gold.

—  Bob Marley, 1945-1981, Jamaican singer

3 likes
Robert BrowningThis could but have happened once,
And we missed it, lost it forever.

—  Robert Browning, 1812-1889, British poet

2 likes
Louise GlückBirth, not death, is the hard loss.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Troubles
Kostas VarnalisAnd if your pit is too deep,
it is your duty to use your hands to get up.

—  Kostas Varnalis, 1883-1974, Greek poet

2 likes
  
  Suffering
DanteMidway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straight-forward pathway had been lost.

—  Dante, 1265-1321, Italian poet

3 likes
Giorgos SeferisSo much pain so much life
they went to the abyss
for an empty shirt, for a Helen.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Giorgos SeferisTo feel nostalgia for you place
being in your place
nothing is more bitter.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Louise GlückFrom the beginning of time, in childhood, I thought that pain meant I was not loved. It meant I loved.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

Louise GlückThat's why I'm not to be trusted.
Because a wound to the heart is also a wound to the mind.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

Emily DickinsonI measure every Grief I meet
With narrow, probing, Eyes;
I wonder if It weighs like Mine,
Or has an Easier size.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Degradation
Constantine KavafyDon’t hope for things elsewhere:
there is no ship for you, there is no road.
As you’ve wasted your life here, in this small corner,
you’ve destroyed it everywhere else in the world.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ The city

2 likes
  
  Fatigue
Louise GlückLike a child, the earth's going to sleep, or so the story goes.
But I'm not tired, it says.
And the mother says, You may not be tired but I'm tired.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

  
  Dogs
Robert FrostThe old dog barks backward without getting up;
I can remember when he was a pup.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

2 likes
  
  Snakes
Robert FrostThe snake stood up for evil in the Garden.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

2 likes
  
  Sleep
RumiWhen I am with you, we stay up all night.
When you’re not here, I can’t go to sleep.

—  Rumi, 1207-1273, Persian mystic & poet

6 likes
Antonio MachadoBetween living and dreaming there is a third thing.
Guess what.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

     (waking up)

  
  Distance
Odysseas ElytisWhat I like is my loneliness.
No one comes close.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Mirror
Giorgos SeferisWe saw the stranger and the enemy in the mirror.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Antonio MachadoLook more in the mirror for the Other.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Road
Robert FrostTwo roads diverged in a wood, and I —
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

11 likes
Antonio MachadoTravelers, there is no path,
paths are made by walking.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

7 likes
Antonio MachadoAs you go, you open a path, and looking back you see a path that you will never walk again.

—  Antonio Machado, 1875-1939, Spanish poet & playwright

  
  Travel
Walt WhitmanO CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting.

—  Walt Whitman, 1819-1892, American poet

3 likes
Alfred TennysonCome friends, it's not too late to seek a newer world.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Alfred TennysonI cannot rest from travel; I will drink Life to the lees.

—  Alfred Tennyson, 1809-1892, English poet

2 likes
Giorgos SeferisWherever I travel, Greece hurts me.

—  Giorgos Seferis, 1900-1971, Greek poet, Nobel 1963

Louise GlückWhat was difficult was the travel, which, on arrival, is forgotten.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

Emily DickinsonTo shut your eyes is to travel.

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

Emily DickinsonThere is no frigate like a book to take us lands away…

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

  
  Beginning
Robert FrostEnds and beginnings—there are no such things.
There are only middles.

—  Robert Frost, 1874-1963, American poet

3 likes
  
  Order
Wallace StevensA violent order is disorder; and a great disorder is an order.
These two things are one.

—  Wallace Stevens, 1879-1955, American poet

4 likes
  
  Contradictions
Walt WhitmanDo I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself; I am large
I contain multitudes.

—  Walt Whitman, 1819-1892, American poet

2 likes
  
  Futility
Constantine KavafyOur efforts are those of men prone to disaster;
our efforts are like those of the Trojans.

—  Constantine Kavafy, 1868-1933, Greek poet ‐ Trojans

3 likes
Emily DickinsonFutile—the winds—
To a heart in port—
Done with the compass—
Done with the chart!

—  Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet

2 likes
  
  No Change
Louise GlückMy memory is like a basement filled with old papers:
nothing ever changes.

—  Louise Glück, 1943-, American poet, Nobel 2020

W.H. AudenWe would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.

—  W.H. Auden, 1907-1973, British poet

  
  New
Odysseas ElytisEverything I love is born unceasingly
Everything I love is always at the beginning.

—  Odysseas Elytis, 1911-1996, Greek poet, Nobel 1979

  
  Inevitable
T. S. EliotThere is one who remembers the way to your door: Life you may evade, but Death you shall not.

—  T. S. Eliot, 1888-1965, British poet, Nobel 1948

6 likes
  









sapfo

 
relevant quote
The right reader of a good poem can tell the moment it strikes him that he has taken an immortal wound — that he will never get over it.
Robert Frost






 

2024: Manolis Papathanassiou