James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowell
James Russell Lowellwas an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the Fireside Poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets who rivaled the popularity of British poets. These poets usually used conventional forms and meters in their poetry, making them suitable for families entertaining at their fireside...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth22 February 1819
CountryUnited States of America
wisdom
For only by unlearning Wisdom comes.
path virtue ends
Virtue treads paths that end not in the grave.
ignorance tyrants slave
Tyrants are but the spawn of Ignorance, Begotten by the slaves they trample on.
silence sorrow best-food
Silence is sorrow's best food.
love heaven steps
Those who love are but one step from heaven.
love spring wide
That love for one, from which there doth not spring Wide love for all, is but a worthless thing.
summer money lying
Earth gets its price for what Earth gives us; The beggar is taxed for a corner to die in, The priest hath his fee who comes and shrives us, We bargain for the graves we lie in; Each ounce of dross costs its ounce of gold... 'T is heaven alone that is given away, 'T is only God may be had for the asking; There is no price set on the lavish summer, And June may be had by the poorest comer.
mind left-alone dread
There is no bore we dread being left alone with so much as our own minds.
men past parliament
In the parliament of the present every man represents a constituency of the past.
memories genius stuff
Attention is the stuff that memory is made of, and memory is accumulated genius.
past men forever
Men have their intellectual ancestry, and the likeness of some one of them is forever unexpectedly flashing out in the features of a descendant, it may be after a gap of several centuries. In the parliament of the present every man represents a constituency of the past.
may merit drink
Of my merit On that pint you yourself may jedge: All is, I never drink no sperit, Nor I haint never signed no pledge.
destiny brain scales
In the scale of the destinies, brawn will never weigh so mach as brain.
genius grows commonplace
To genius life never grows commonplace.