William Watson Quotes

• Empires dissolve and peoples disappear, song passes not away.

  William Watson

  Song, Empires, Disappear

  Sir William Watson, John Alfred Spender (1905). “The Poems of William Watson”

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• God, eldest of Poets.

  William Watson

  Poet, Eldest

  "England, my England" in "Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations" by Jehiel Keeler Hoyt, (pp. 605-609), 1922.

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• Hate and mistrust are the children of blindness.

  William Watson

  Children, Hate, Hatred

  William Watson (1892). “Poems”

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• Song is not Truth, not Wisdom, but the rose Upon Truths lips, the light in Wisdom's eyes.

  William Watson

  Song, Eye, Light

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• Thou hadst, for weary feet, the gift of rest.

  William Watson

  Feet, Weary

  William Watson (1936). “The Poems of Sir William Watson: 1878-1935”

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• A dreamer of the common dreams, A fisher in familiar streams, He chased the transitory gleams That all pursue; But on his lips the eternal themes Again were new.

  William Watson

  Dream, Gleam, Lips

  Sir William Watson, John Alfred Spender (1905). “The Poems of William Watson”

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• Deemest thou laborOnly is earnest?Grave is all beauty,Solemn is joy.

  William Watson

  Joy, Graves, Earnest

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• April, April
  Laugh thy girlish laughter;
  Then, the moment after,
  Weep thy girlish tears.

  William Watson

  Laughter, Spring, Laughing

  Poems (1905) vol. 1, "Song"

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• Too long, that some may rest, tired millions toil unblest.

  William Watson

  Work, Tired, Long

  William Watson (1899). “The Collected Poems of William Watson”

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• And though circuitous and obscureThe feet of Nemesis how sure!

  William Watson

  Feet, Nemesis

  William Watson (1899). “The Collected Poems of William Watson”

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• In this world with starry dome,Floored with gemlike plains and seas,Shall I never feel at home,Never wholly be at ease?

  William Watson

  Home, Sea, Ease

  Sir William Watson, John Alfred Spender (1905). “The Poems of William Watson”

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• She is not old, she is not young, The Woman with the Serpent's Tongue. The haggard cheek, the hungering eye, The poisoned words that wildly fly, The famished face, the fevered hand, Who slights the worthiest in the land, Sneers at the just, contemns the brave, And blackens goodness in its grave.

  William Watson

  Anger, Eye, Hands

  William Watson (1909). “New Poems”

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• The thirst to know and understand a large and liberal discontent.

  William Watson

  Curiosity, Discontent, Thirst

  William Watson (1899). “The Collected Poems of William Watson”

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• Lord of the golden tongue and smiting eyes; Great out of season and untimely wise: A man whose virtue, genius, grandeur, worth, Wrought deadlier ill than ages can undo.

  William Watson

  Wise, Character, Eye

  William Watson (1936). “The Poems of Sir William Watson: 1878-1935”

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• We hold our hate too choice a thing, for light and careless lavishing.

  William Watson

  Hate, Light, Choices

  William Watson (1936). “The Poems of Sir William Watson: 1878-1935”

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• Fiat justitia et ruant coeli. Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall. See Ferdinand I 320:1.

  William Watson

  Fall, Justice, Heaven

  1602 A Decacordon of Ten Quodlibeticall Questions Concerning Religion and State. This was an influential reworking of Ferdinand I's motto. See Ferdinand I 320:1.

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• On from room to room I stray,Yet mine Host can ne'er espy,And I know not to this day,Whether guest or captive I.

  William Watson

  Guests, Rooms, Host

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• The after-silence, when the feast is o'er,And void the places where the minstrels stood,Differs in nought from what hath been before,And is nor ill nor good.

  William Watson

  Silence, Void, Minstrels

  William Watson (1936). “The Poems of Sir William Watson: 1878-1935”

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• His friends he loved. His direst earthly foe - Cats-I believe he did but feign to hate. My hand will miss the insinuated nose, Mine eyes the tail that wagged contempt at Fate.

  William Watson

  Dog, Hate, Believe

  William Watson, “Epigrams”

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• Best they honor thee
  Who honor in thee only what is best.

  William Watson

  Honor, Thee

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• Threadbare his songs seem now, to lettered ken: They were worn threadbare next the hearts of men.

  William Watson

  Song, Heart, Men

  William Watson (1917). “Retrogression: and other poems”

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• He saw wan Woman toil with famished eyes; He saw her bound, and strove to sing her free. He saw her fall'n; and wrote "The Bridge of Sighs"; And on it crossed to immortality.

  William Watson

  Fall, Eye, Bridges

  William Watson, “Thomas Hood”

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• O ye by wandering tempest sown
  'Neath every alien star,
  Forget not whence the breath was blown
  That wafted you afar!
  For ye are still her ancient seed
  On younger soil let fall—
  Children of Britain's island-breed,
  To whom the Mother in her need
  Perchance may one day call.

  William Watson

  Mother, Stars, Children

  William Watson, “England And Her Colonies”

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• Braying of arrogant brass, whimper of querulous reeds.

  William Watson

  Arrogant, Reeds, Brass

  William Watson (1936). “The Poems of Sir William Watson: 1878-1935”

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• Personally, I do not believe that we shall have greater armaments in the future than we have had in the past. On the contrary, I believe there will be a gradual diminution in this respect.

  William Watson

  Respect, Believe, Past

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