Quote

Ah, in this world, where every guiding thread Ends suddenly in the one sure centre, death, The visionary hand of Might-have-been Alone can fill Desire's cup to the brim!

James Russell Lowell

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James Russell Lowell
Age: 72 †
Born: 1819
Born: February 22
Died: 1891
Died: August 12
Diplomat
Essayist
Journalist
Literary Critic
Poet
Writer
Cambridge
Massachusetts
Sure
Centre
Desire
Thread
Death
Cups
Hands
Fill
Ends
Suddenly
Brim
Might
Regret
Visionary
Every
Hand
Guiding
World
Alone
Visionaries

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In the ocean of baseness, the deeper we get, the easier the sinking.
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Then to side with Truth is noble when we share her wretched crust, Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 't is prosperous to be just Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside, Doubting in his abject spirit, till his Lord is crucified.
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And but two ways are offered to our will, Toil with rare triumph, ease with safe disgrace, The problem still for us and all of human race.
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Communism means barbarism.
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My gran'ther's rule was safer 'n 't is to crow: Don't never prophesy - onless ye know.
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Democracy gives every man the right to be his own oppressor.
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To win the secret of a weed's plain heart.
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A wise man travels to discover himself.
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Against the windows the storm comes dashing, Through tattered foliage the hail tears crashing, The blue lightning flashes, The rapid hail clashes... The thunder is rumbling And crashing and crumbling.
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The only faith that wears well and holds its color in all weathers is that which is woven of conviction and set with the sharp mordant of experience.
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While tenderness of feeling and susceptibility to generous emotions are accidents of temperament, goodness is an achievement of the will and a quality of the life.
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They talk about their Pilgrim blood, their birthright high and holy! a mountain-stream that ends in mud thinks is melancholy.
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Be He nowhere else, God is in all that liberates and lifts, in all that humbles, sweetens, and consoles.
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The thing we long for, that we are For one transcendent moment.
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The very gnarliest and hardest of hearts has some musical strings in it but they are tuned differently in every one of us.
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A ginooine statesman should be on his guard, if he must hev beliefs, not to b'lieve 'em too hard.
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Who is it needs such flawless shafts as fate? What archer of his arrows is so choice, or hits the white so surely?
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But better far it is to speak One simple word, which now and then Shall waken their free nature in the weak And friendless sons of men.
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And I honor the man who is willing to sink half his present repute for the freedom to think, and, when he has thought, be his cause strong or weak, Will risk t' other half for the freedom to speak.
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One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.
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