Heinrich Heine
Heinrich Heine
Christian Johann Heinrich Heinewas a German poet, journalist, essayist, and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of Liederby composers such as Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert. Heine's later verse and prose are distinguished by their satirical wit and irony. He is considered part of the Young Germany movement. His radical political views led to many of his works being banned by German authorities. Heine spent...
NationalityGerman
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth13 December 1797
CountryGermany
The men of the past had convictions, while we moderns have only opinions.
The negro king desired to be portrayed as white. But do not laugh at the poor African; for every man is but another negro king, and would like to appear in a color different from that with which Fate has bedaubed him.
A brainiac notices everything, an ignoramus comments about everything.
If one has no heart, one cannot write for the masses.
Jews who long have drifted from the faith of their fathers... are stirred in their inmost parts when the old, familiar Passover sounds chance to fall upon their ears.
Good Luck is a giddy maid, Fickle and restless as a fawn; She smooths your hair; and then the jade Kisses you quickly, and is gone.
The spring's already at the gate With looks my care beguiling; The country round appeareth straight A flower-garden smiling.
The eyes of spring, so azure, Are peeping from the ground; They are the darling violets, That I in nosegays bound.
The artist is the child in the popular fable, every one of whose tears was a pearl.
So we keep asking, over and over,Until a handful of earthStops our mouths -But is that an answer?
The same fact that Boccaccio offers in support of religion might be adduced in behalf of a republic: "It exists in spite of its ministers.
Freedom is a new religion, the religion of our time.
Literary history is the great morgue where all seek the dead ones whom they love, or to whom they are related.
At first I was almost about to despair, I thought I never could bear it — but I did I bear it. The question remains: how?