Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Popewas an 18th-century English poet. He is best known for his satirical verse, as well as for his translation of Homer. Famous for his use of the heroic couplet, he is the second-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth21 May 1688
inspirational honesty long
Let fortune do her worst, whatever she makes us lose, so long as she never makes us lose our honesty and our independence.
butterfly wheels satire
Satire or sense, alas! Can Sporus feel? Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?
able care reason
Reason, however able, cool at best, Cares not for service, or but serves when prest, Stays till we call, and then not often near.
wise giving deny
Who finds not Providence all good and wise, Alike in what it gives, and what denies.
wise kings character
Tis from high Life high Characters are drawn; A Saint in Crape is twice a Saint in Lawn: A Judge is just, a Chanc'llor juster still; A Gownman learn'd; a Bishop what you will; Wise if a minister; but if a King, More wise, more learn'd, more just, more ev'rything.
race sea fishing
Our plenteous streams a various race supply, The bright-eyed perch with fins of Tyrian dye, The silver eel, in shining volumes roll'd, The yellow carp, in scales bedropp'd with gold, Swift trouts, diversified with crimson stains, And pikes, the tyrants of the wat'ry plains.
woe bears midnight
And bear about the mockery of woe To midnight dances and the public show.
lying graves oppressors
The grave unites; where e'en the great find rest, And blended lie th' oppressor and th' oppressed!
blue years sight
With sharpen'd sight pale Antiquaries pore, Th' inscription value, but the rust adore. This the blue varnish, that the green endears; The sacred rust of twice ten hundred years.
men devil adam
Eve left Adam, to meet the Devil in private.
art practice play
So modern 'pothecaries, taught the art By doctor's bills to play the doctor's part, Bold in the practice of mistaken rules, Prescribe, apply, and call their masters fools.
medicine fields beast
Learn from the beasts the physic of the field.
marriage witty honest
Grave authors say, and witty poets sing, That honest wedlock is a glorious thing.
poor stores pale
Who sees pale Mammom pine amidst his store, Sees but a backward steward for the poor.