Quote

It is easy enough to praise men for the courage of their conviction. I wish I could teach the sad young of this mealy generation the courage of their convictions.

John Ciardi

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

John Ciardi
Age: 69 †
Born: 1916
Born: June 24
Died: 1986
Died: March 30
Journalist
Linguist
Poet
Science Fiction Writer
Translator
University Teacher
Writer
Boston
Massachusetts
John Anthony Ciardi
Teach
Wish
Convictions
Easy
Bravery
Young
Conviction
Enough
Praise
Men
Generation
Generations
Courage

More quotes by John Ciardi

Image
Conviction is possible only in a world more primitive than ours can be perceived to be. A man can achieve a simply gnomic conviction only by ignoring the radical describers of his environment, or by hating them, as convinced men have hated, say, Darwin and Freud, as agents of some devil.
John Ciardi
Image
Patience is the art of caring slowly.
John Ciardi
Image
A good question is never answered. It is not a bolt to be tightened into place but a seed to be planted and to bear more seed toward the hope of greening the landscape of idea.
John Ciardi
Image
Spontaneous is what you get after the seventeenth draft.
John Ciardi
Image
Who could believe an ant in theory? A giraffe in blueprint? Ten thousand doctors of what's possible Could reason half the jungle out of being.
John Ciardi
Image
I'm smiled out, talked out, quipped out, socialized so far from any being, I need the weight of mortal silences to get realized back into myself.
John Ciardi
Image
Within a single scene, it seems to be unwise to have access to the inner reflections of more than one character. The reader generally needs a single character as the means of perception, as the character to whom the events are happening, as the character with whom he is to empathize in order to have the events of the writing happen to him.
John Ciardi
Image
Honesty: The ability to resist small temptations.
John Ciardi
Image
The constitution gives every American the inalienable right to make a damn fool of himself.
John Ciardi
Image
I have one head that wants to be good, And one that wants to be bad. And always, as soon as I get up, One of my heads is sad.
John Ciardi
Image
Intelligence recognizes what has happened. Genius recognizes what will happen.
John Ciardi
Image
Every parent is at some time the father of the unreturned prodigal, with nothing to do but keep his house open to hope.
John Ciardi
Image
The public library is the most dangerous place in town
John Ciardi
Image
At the next vacancy for God, if I am elected, I shall forgive last the delicately wounded who, having been slugged no harder than anyone else, never got up again, neither to fight back, nor to finger their jaws in painful admiration.
John Ciardi
Image
You have to fall in love with hanging around words.
John Ciardi
Image
Fermentation and civilization are inseparable.
John Ciardi
Image
Fermentation equals civilization.
John Ciardi
Image
The day will happen whether or not you get up.
John Ciardi
Image
A savage is simply a human organism that has not received enough news from the human race.
John Ciardi
Image
The reader deserves an honest opinion. If he doesn't deserve it, give it to him anyhow.
John Ciardi