Francis Quarles
Francis Quarles
Francis Quarleswas an English poet most famous for his Emblem book aptly entitled Emblems...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth8 May 1592
desire tongue ruins
He that discovers himself, till he hath made himself master of his desires, lays himself open to his own ruin, and makes himself prisoner to his own tongue.
light sight glasses
Yet, sluggard, wake, and gull thy soul no more With earth's false pleasures, and the world's delight, Whose fruit is fair and pleasing to the sight, But sour in taste, false as the putrid core: Thy flaring glass is gems at her half light; She makes thee seeming rich, but truly poor: She boasts a kernel, and bestows a shell; Performs an inch of her fair-promis'd ell: Her words protest a heav'n; her works produce a hell.
music air ears
Toyish airs please trivial ears.
wind fire rocks
Nor fire, nor rocks, can stop our furious minds, Nor waves, nor winds.
death spring flames
Death's a fable. Did not Heaven inspire your equal Elements with living Fire blown from the Spring of Life? Is not that breath Immortal? Come; ye are as free from death as He that made ye: Can the flames expire which he kindled?
death wise heart
Mark, how the ready hands of Death prepare: His bow is bent, and he hath notch'd his dart; He aims, he levels at thy slumb'ring heart: The wound is posting, O be wise, beware.
men thinking fire
How is the anxious soul of man befool'd in his desire, That thinks an hectic fever may be cool'd in flames of fire?
strong men giving
The strong desires of man's insatiate breast may stand possess'd Of all that earth can give; but earth can give no rest.
heart evil despair
A despairing heart is the true prophet of approaching evil; his actions may weave the webs of Fortune, but not break them.
children father parent
If thou desire to see thy child virtuous, let him not see his father's vices: thou canst not rebuke that in them, that they behold practised in thee; till reason be ripe, examples direct more than precepts: such as thy behaviour is before thy children's faces, such commonly is theirs behind their parents' backs.
hands gold care
Whose gold is double with a careful hand, His cares are double.
pain self immortal-life
Immortal life is something to be earned, By slow self-conquest, comradeship with Pain, And patient seeking after higher truths.
real grief men
For trash and toys, And grief-engend'ring joys, What torment seems too sharp for flesh and blood; What bitter pills, Compos'd of real ills, Men swallow down to purchase one false good!
laughter cities mirth
The suburbs of folly is vain mirth, and profuseness of laughter is the city of fools.