English Poet Quotes

E'er time and place were, time and place were not, When Primitive Nothing something straight begot, Then all proceeded from the great united — What.

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
Lustful Desire (although 'twere rather fit To some brute creature to attribute it) Shall be presented in the second place, Because it shrouds a vile deformed face Beneath love's vizard, and assumes that name, Hiding its own fault with the other's blame.

George Wither
George Wither
The doctor lives by chicken pox, by measles, and by mumps. He keeps a microbe in a box and cheers him when he jumps.

In heaven above, And earth below, they best can serve true gladness Who meet most feelingly the calls of sadness.

William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
Architecture, can want no commendation, where there are Noble Men, or Noble minds...

Henry Wotton
Henry Wotton
The course of nature governs all! The course of nature is the heart of God. The miracles thou call'st for, this attest; For say, could nature nature's course control? But miracles apart, who sees Him not?

Edward Young
Edward Young
The essay was impelled by Clare's anxiety that his poems were slipping out if fashion.

John Birtwhistle
John Birtwhistle
Like an ambassador that beds a queen
With the nice caution of a sword between.

John Cleveland
John Cleveland
Like as the armed knight
Appointed to the field,
With this world will I fight,
And faith shall be my shield…
I am not she that list
My anchor to let fall,
For every drizzling mist
My ship substantial.

And an ingenious Spaniard says, that "rivers and the inhabitants of the watery element were made for wise men to contemplate and fools to pass by without consideration."

Charles Cotton
Charles Cotton
My prime of youth is but a frost of cares;
My feast of joy is but a dish of pain;
My crop of corn is but a field of tares;
And all my good is but vain hope of gain.
The day is past, and yet I saw no sun;
And now I live, and now my life is done.

If ever I ate a good supper at night,
I dreamed of the devil, and waked in a fright.

Christopher Anstey
Christopher Anstey
The labouring man, that tills the fertile soil,
And reaps the harvest fruit, hath not in deed
The gain, but pain; and if for all his toil
He gets the straw, the lord will have the seed.

Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
From marrying in haste, and repenting at leisure;
Not liking the person, yet liking his treasure:
Libera nos.

The walks put on their summer liveries,
And all things else did hold like similes:
The trees with leaves, with fruits, with flowers clad,
Embrac'd each other, seeming to be glad.

From troubles of the world
I turn to ducks
Beautiful comical things.

F. W. Harvey
F. W. Harvey
If there is any truth to my parenting the dreamwork movement, it comes from the power of the press.

Had I a husband or a house, and all that longs thereto
Myself could frame about to rouse as other women do,
But til some household cares me tie
My books and pen I will apply.

It came as a boon and a blessing to men,
The peaceful, the pure, the victorious pen!

O Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
Be thou for ever near me,
My Master and my Friend.

Epitaph:
Went the day well? we died and never knew;
But well or ill, England, we died for you.

Tell me the old, old story
Of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory,
Of Jesus and his love.

Love, a child, is ever crying:
Please him and he straight is flying,
Give him, he the more is craving,
Never satisfied with having.

Though we all day with care our work attend,
Such is our fate, we know not when 'twill end.
When evening's come, you homeward take your way;
We, till our work is done, are forced to stay.

Thou tyrant whom I will not name,
Whom heaven and hell alike disclaim;
Abhorred and shunned, for different ends,
By angels, Jesuits, beasts and fiends!...
That wretch, if such a wretch there be,
Who hopes for happiness from thee,
May search successfully as well
For truth in whores and ease in hell.