Henry Abbey Quotes

• The artist labors while he may, But finds at best too brief the day; And, tho' his works outlast the time And nation that they make sublime, He feels and sees that Nature knows Nothing of time in what she does, But has a leisure infinite Wherein to do her work aright.

  Henry Abbey

  Nature, Artist, Work Out

  Henry Abbey (1884). “The City of Success: And Other Poems”

  6 Copy quote

• What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant the ship that will cross the sea, we plant the mast to carry the sails, we plant the planks to withstand the gales--the keel, the keelson, and beam and knee--we plant the ship when we plant the tree.

  Henry Abbey

  Sea, Tree, Knees

  Henry Abbey, “What Do We Plant?”

  9 Copy quote

• The end we know not; but we wander on,
  Down the regretful wilderness of time.

  Henry Abbey

  Time, Wilderness, Ends

  Henry Abbey, “Emmanuel”

  6 Copy quote

• Though Duty's face is stern, her path is best: They sweetly sleep who die upon her breast.

  Henry Abbey

  Sleep, Path, Faces

  HENRY ABBEY (1872). “BALLADS OF GOOD DEEDS”, p.14

  4 Copy quote

• Love is the key-note of the universe-- The theme, the melody.

  Henry Abbey

  Love, Keys, Notes

  Henry Abbey (1879). “Poems”

  4 Copy quote

• Life is the wave's deep whisper on the shore Of a great sea beyond.

  Henry Abbey

  Life, Sea, Wave

  HENRY ABBEY (1872). “BALLADS OF GOOD DEEDS”, p.12

  4 Copy quote

• Behold the grapes and all the fruits that Autumn gives today, As robed in red and gold, she rules, the Empress of Decay!

  Henry Abbey

  Autumn, Giving, Gold

  Henry Abbey, “Autumn Ballad”

  20 Copy quote

• The noblest works of human art and pride show that their makers were not satisfied.

  Henry Abbey

  Art, Pride, Makers

  Henry Abbey (1879). “Poems”

  4 Copy quote

• What do we plant when we plant a tree?
  A thousand things that we daily see,
  We plant the spire that out-towers the crag,
  We plant the staff for our country's flag;
  We plant the shade from the hot sun free,
  We plant all these when we plant the tree.

  Henry Abbey

  Country, Tree, Sun

  Henry Abbey, “What Do We Plant?”

  13 Copy quote

• Our yesterdays Are like a lonely and a ruined land Wherein a breeze of recollection sighs-- A fading land to which is no return.

  Henry Abbey

  Lonely, Past, Land

  4 Copy quote

• And once I knew a meditative rose That never raised its head from bowing down, Yet drew its inspiration from the stars. It bloomed and faded here beside the road, And, being a poet, wrote on empty air With fragrance all the beauty of its soul.

  Henry Abbey

  Stars, Inspiration, Air

  4 Copy quote

• All governments, Books, customs, buildings, railways, ships, and all the stark realities that men have made, Are but imagination's utterances.

  Henry Abbey

  Book, Reality, Men

  Henry Abbey, “Eleusinia”

  52 Copy quote

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