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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
Might
Regret
Visionary
Every
Hand
Guiding
World
Alone
Visionaries
Sure
Centre
Desire
Thread
Death
Cups
Hands
Fill
Ends
Suddenly
Brim

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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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Aspiration sees only one side of every question possession many.
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Great truths are portions of the soul of man Great souls are portions of eternity.
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Humbleness is always grace always dignity
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Over our manhood bend the skies Against our fallen and traitor lives The great winds utter prophecies With our faint hearts the mountain strives, Its arms outstretched, the druid wood Waits with its benedicite And to our age’s drowsy blood Still shouts the inspiring sea.
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One learns more metaphysics from a single temptation than from all the philosophers.
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Children are God's Apostles, sent forth, day by day, to preach of love, and hope, and peace.
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Toward no crimes have men shown themselves so cold- bloodedly cruel as in punishing differences of belief.
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In the storm, like a prophet o'ermaddened, Thou singest and tossest thy branches Thy heart with the terror is gladdened, Thou forebodest the dread avalanches.... In the calm thou o'erstretchest the valleys With thine arms, as if blessings imploring, Like an old king led forth from his palace, When his people to battle are pouring.
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Democracy gives every man the right to be his own oppressor.
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Not suffering, but faint heart, is worst of woes.
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Count me o'er earth's chosen heroes, - they were souls that stood alone, While the men they agonized for hurled the contumelious stone, Stood serene, and down the future saw the golden beam incline To the side of perfect justice, mastered by their faith divine, By one man's plain truth to manhood and to God's supreme design.
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Blessed are they who have nothing to say and who cannot be persuaded to say it.
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A weed is no more than a flower in disguise, Which is seen through at once, if love give a man eyes.
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A wise man travels to discover himself.
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Life seems a jest of Fate's contriving.
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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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The material of thought re-acts upon the thought itself.
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Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight, And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.
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In the ocean of baseness, the deeper we get, the easier the sinking.
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