Alexander Pope Quotes

552 Sourced Quotes

For I, who hold sage Homer's rule the best,
Welcome the coming, speed the going guest.

Alexander Pope
The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine!
Feels at each thread, and lives along the line.

Alexander Pope
Who combats bravely is not therefore brave, He dreads a death-bed like the meanest slave: Who reasons wisely is not therefore wise,- His pride in reasoning, not in acting lies.

Alexander Pope
But when loud surges lash the sounding shore,
The hoarse, rough verse should like the torrent roar.
When Ajax strives, some rock's vast weight to throw,
The line too labours, and the words move slow.

Alexander Pope
Some have at first for wits, then poets passed,
Turned critics next, and proved plain fools at last.

Alexander Pope
Pride still is aiming at the blest abodes,
Men would be angels, angels would be gods.

Alexander Pope
All seems infected that th'infected spy,
As all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye.

Alexander Pope
Now lap-dogs give themselves the rousing shake,
And sleepless lovers, just at twelve, awake.

Alexander Pope
Awake, my St. John! leave all meaner things To low ambition, and the pride of kings. Let us, since life can little more supply Than just to look about us, and to die, Expatiate free o'er all this scene of man; A mighty maze! but not without a plan.

Alexander Pope
The wrath of Peleus' son, the direful spring Of all the Grecian woes, O goddess sing!

Alexander Pope
Wit that can creep, and pride that licks the dust.

Alexander Pope
For, as blushing will sometimes make a whore pass for a virtuous woman, so modesty may make a fool seem a man of sense.

Alexander Pope
Aurora now, fair daughter of the dawn, Sprinkled with rosy light the dewy lawn.

Alexander Pope
Learn to live well, or fairly make your will;
You've played, and loved, and ate, and drunk your fill:
Walk sober off; before a sprightlier age
Comes tittering on, and shoves you from the stage.

Alexander Pope
Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar spot,
To draw nutrition, propagate and rot.

Alexander Pope
Careless of censure, nor too fond of fame, Still pleased to praise, yet not afraid to blame, Averse alike to flatter or offend, Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend.

Alexander Pope
Trust not yourself, but your defects to know, make use of every friend and every foe.

Alexander Pope
Like Cato, give his little senate laws, and sit attentive to his own applause.

Alexander Pope
Here thou, great Anna! whom three realms obey,
Dost sometimes counsel take — and sometimes tea.

Alexander Pope
Unblemish'd let me live, or die unknown;
O grant an honest fame, or grant me none!

Alexander Pope
See skulking Truth to her old cavern fled, Mountains of Casuistry heap'd o'er her head! Philosophy, that lean'd on Heav'n before, Shrinks to her second cause, and is no more. Physic of Metaphysic begs defence, And Metaphysic calls for aid on Sense! See Mystery to Mathematics fly!

Alexander Pope
Lo! thy dread empire, Chaos! is restored;
Light dies before thy uncreating word:
Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall;
And universal darkness buries all.

Alexander Pope
I think it was a generous thought, and one that fow'd from an exalted mind, that it was not improbable but God might be delighted with the various methods of worshipping him, which divided the whole world.

Alexander Pope
To rest, the cushion and soft Dean invite,
Who never mentions Hell to ears polite.

Alexander Pope
Reason's whole pleasure, all the joys of sense, Lie in three words,-health, peace, and competence.

Alexander Pope
How loved, how honored once, avails thee not,
To whom related, or by whom begot;
A heap of dust alone remains of thee;
'Tis all thou art, and all the proud shall be!

Alexander Pope
Next o'er his books his eyes began to roll,
In pleasing memory of all he stole.

Alexander Pope
Wise wretch! with pleasures too refin'd to please; With too much spirit to be e'er at ease; With too much quickness ever to be taught; With too much thinking to have common thought. You purchase pain with all that joy can give, And die of nothing but a rage to live.

Alexander Pope
Music resembles poetry; in each
Are nameless graces which no methods teach,
And which a master-hand alone can reach.

Alexander Pope
Not grace, or zeal, love only was my call,
And if I lose thy love, I lose my all.

Alexander Pope