Thomas Gray Quotes

90 Sourced Quotes

Can storied urn, or animated bust
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath?
Can honor's voice provoke the silent dust,
Or flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of death?

Thomas Gray
T'was Spring, t'was Summer, all was gay
Now Autumn bears a cloud brow
The flowers of Spring are swept way
And Summer fruits desert the bough

Thomas Gray
Far from the sun and summer-gale,
In thy green lap was Nature's Darling laid.

Thomas Gray
No dolphin came, no Nereid stirred;
Nor cruel Tom, nor Susan heard.
A favourite has no friend!

Thomas Gray
Yet hark, how through the peopled air The busy murmur glows! The insect-youth are on the wing, Eager to taste the honied spring And float amid the liquid noon: Some lightly o'er the current skim, Some show their gayly-gilded trim Quick-glancing to the sun.

Thomas Gray
Save that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r
The moping owl does to the moon complain.

Thomas Gray
Dear, as the light that visits these sad eyes;
Dear, as the ruddy drops that warm my heart.

Thomas Gray
Iron sleet of arrowy shower
Hurtles in the darkened air.

Thomas Gray
E'en from the tomb the voice of Nature cries,
E'en in our Ashes live their wonted Fires.

Thomas Gray
Any fool may write a most valuable book by chance, if he will only tell us what he heard and saw with veracity.

Thomas Gray
Each in his narrow cell forever laid,
The rude Forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

Thomas Gray
Brushing with hasty steps the dews away,
To meet the sun upon the upland lawn.

Thomas Gray
And hie him home, at evening's close,
To sweet repast and calm repose.

Thomas Gray
Visions of glory, spare my aching sight,
Ye unborn ages, crowd not on my soul!

Thomas Gray
Beneath those rugged elms, that yew-tree's shade,
Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap,
Each in his narrow cell for ever laid,
The rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep.

Thomas Gray
The different steps and degrees of education may be compared to the artificer's operations upon marble; it is one thing to dig it out of the quarry, and another to square it, to give it gloss and lustre, call forth every beautiful spot and vein, shape it into a column, or animate it into a statue.

Thomas Gray
Daughter of Jove, relentless power,
Thou tamer of the human breast,
Whose iron scourge and tort'ring hour
The bad affright, afflict the best!

Thomas Gray
The breezy call of incense-breathing Morn.

Thomas Gray
For who to dumb Forgetfulness a prey,
This pleasing anxious being e'er resigned,
Left the warm precincts of the cheerful day,
Nor cast one longing ling'ring look behind?

Thomas Gray
Forbade to wade through slaughter to a throne,
And shut the gates of mercy on mankind.

Thomas Gray
Beyond the limits of a vulgar fate,
Beneath the good how far,—but far above the great.

Thomas Gray
To high-born Hoel's harp, or soft Llewellyn's lay.

Thomas Gray
Now as the Paradisiacal pleasures of the Mahometans consist in playing upon the flute and lying with Houris, be mine to read eternal new romances of Marivaux and Crebillon.

Thomas Gray
Where his glowing eye−balls turn,
Thousand banners round him burn.
Where he points his purple spear,
Hasty, hasty Rout is there,
Marking with indignant eye
Fear to stop and shame to fly.
There Confusion, Terror's child,
Conflict fierce and Ruin wild,
Agony that pants for breath,
Despair and honourable Death.

Thomas Gray
Hear from the grave, great Taliessin, hear;
They breathe a soul to animate thy clay.
Bright Rapture calls, and soaring, as she sings,
Waves in the eye of Heav'n her many-colour'd wings.

Thomas Gray