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James Russell Lowell Quotes - Page 5

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All God's angels come to us disguised.

All God's angels come to us disguised.

James Russell Lowell
Inspirational, Angel, Guardian Angel
James Russell Lowell (1861). “Poetical Works”, p.202

No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him. There is always work, and tools to work with, for those who will, and blessed are the horny hands of toil. The busy world shoves angrily aside the man who stands with arms akimbo until occasion tells him what to do; and he who waits to have his task marked out shall die and leave his errand unfulfilled.

James Russell Lowell
Work, Blessed, Men
James Russell Lowell (1876). “The Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell”, p.52

Democracy gives every man the right to be his own oppressor.

James Russell Lowell
Freedom, Men, Democracies Have
The Biglow Papers, Second Series, "Ef I a song or two could make" l. 97 (1867)

They have rights who dare maintain them.

James Russell Lowell
Rights, Liberty, Dare
James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.67

He who is firmly seated in authority soon learns to think security, and not progress, the highest lesson in statecraft.

James Russell Lowell
Thinking, Progress, Literature
James Russell Lowell (1857). “Literary essays; Among my books, My study windows, Fireside travels”, p.6

There is nothing so desperately monotonous as the sea, and I no longer wonder at the cruelty of pirates.

James Russell Lowell
Ocean, Sea, Pirate
James Russell Lowell (1864). “Fireside Travels”, p.157

Those who love are but one step from heaven.

James Russell Lowell
Love, Heaven, Steps
James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.109

Taste is the next gift to genius.

James Russell Lowell
Genius, Taste, Next
James Russell Lowell (1845). “Conversations on Some of the Old Poets”, p.53

Aspiration sees only one side of every question; possession many.

James Russell Lowell
Sides, Argument, Aspiration
James Russell Lowell (1872). “Among my Books: Contents: Dryden. Witchcraft. Shakespeare once more. New England two centuries ago. Lessing. Rousseau and the Sentimentalists”, p.233

What men prize most is a privilege, even if it be that of chief mourner at a funeral.

James Russell Lowell
Pride, Men, Funeral
James Russell Lowell (1910). “Essays, English and American”

The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions.

James Russell Lowell
Inspirational, Life, Change
James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.1780, Delphi Classics

Silence is sorrow's best food.

James Russell Lowell
Silence, Sorrow, Best Food
James Russell Lowell (1898). “Poems of James Russell Lowell With Biographical Sketch by Nathan Haskell Dole”, p.438, Library of Alexandria

Granting our wish is one of Fate's saddest jokes.

James Russell Lowell
Success, Fate, Wish
James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.426

O reputation! dearer far than life.

James Russell Lowell
Reputation

With every step of the recent traveler our inheritance of the wonderful is diminished. Those beautiful pictured notes of the possible are redeemed at a ruinous discount in the hard coin of the actual.

James Russell Lowell
Beautiful, Travel, Inheritance
James Russell Lowell (1864). “Fireside Travels”, p.172

There is no bore we dread being left alone with so much as our own minds.

James Russell Lowell
Mind, Left Alone, Dread
James Russell Lowell (1864). “Fireside Travels”, p.124

Practical application is the only mordant which will set things in the memory. Study without it is gymnastics, and not work, which alone will get intellectual bread.

James Russell Lowell
Memories, Gymnastics, Intellectual
James Russell Lowell (1864). “Fireside Travels”, p.119

They are slaves who fear to speak For the fallen and the weak; They are slaves who will not choose Hatred, scoffing, and abuse, Rather than in silence shrink From the truth they needs must think; They are slaves who dare not be In the right with two or three.

James Russell Lowell
Thinking, Two, Hatred
James Russell Lowell (1849). “Poems”, p.206

Scepticism commonly takes up the room left by defect of imagination, and is the very quality of mind most likely to seek for sensual proof of supersensual things. If one came from the dead it could not believe; and yet it longs for such a witness, and will put up with a very dubious one.

James Russell Lowell
Believe, Imagination, Sensual
James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.1162, Delphi Classics

The ultimate result of protecting fools from their folly is to fill the planet full of fools.

James Russell Lowell
Fool, Results, Planets

Darkness is strong, and so is Sin, But surely God endures forever!

James Russell Lowell
God, Strong, Dark
James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.713, Delphi Classics

Fate loves the fearless.

James Russell Lowell
Fate, Thinking, Stay Positive
James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.684, Delphi Classics

They enslave their children's children who make compromise with sin.

James Russell Lowell
Children, Compromise, Sin
James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.66

Idleness induces caprice.

James Russell Lowell
Caprice, Idleness

No mud can soil us but the mud we throw.

James Russell Lowell
Mud, Soil
James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.856, Delphi Classics

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