James Russell Lowell Quotes - Page 11

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These pearls of thought in Persian gulfs were bred, Each softly lucent as a rounded moon; The diver Omar plucked them from their bed, Fitzgerald strung them on an English thread.

James Russell Lowell

Moon, Bed, Pearls

'In a Copy of Omar Khayy m'

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Certainly it is no shame to a man that he should be as nice about his country as his sweetheart, yet it would not be wise to hold everyone an enemy who could not see her with our own enchanted eyes.

James Russell Lowell

Wise, Country, Peace

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[B]ut in literature, it should be remembered, a thing always becomes his at last who says it best, and thus makes it his own.

James Russell Lowell

Literature, Lasts, Should

James Russell Lowell (1870). “Among My Books”, p.41

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The time is ripe, and rotten-ripe, for change; Then let it come: I have no dread of what Is called for by the instinct of mankind. Nor think I that God's world would fall apart Because we tear a parchment more or less. Truth is eternal, but her effluence, With endless change, is fitted to the hour; Her mirror is turned forward, to reflect The promise of the future, not the past. I do not fear to follow out the truth.

James Russell Lowell

Fall, Past, Thinking

James Russell Lowell (1844). “Poems”, p.178

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Now the heart is so full that a drop overfills it, We are happy now because God so wills it; No matter how barren the past may have been, 'T is enough for us now that the leaves are green; We sit in the warm shade and feel right well How the sap creeps up and the blossoms swell... The breeze comes whispering in our ear, That dandelions are blossoming near... Every thing is upward striving; 'T is as easy now for the heart to be true As for grass to be green or skies to be blue, - 'T is the natural way of living.

James Russell Lowell

Summer, Heart, Past

James Russell Lowell, “The Vision Of Sir Launfal”

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In the storm, like a prophet o'ermaddened, Thou singest and tossest thy branches; Thy heart with the terror is gladdened, Thou forebodest the dread avalanches.... In the calm thou o'erstretchest the valleys With thine arms, as if blessings imploring, Like an old king led forth from his palace, When his people to battle are pouring.

James Russell Lowell

Kings, Heart, Blessing

James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.176, Delphi Classics

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Suddenly all the sky is hid As with the shutting of a lid, One by one great drops are falling Doubtful and slow, Down the pane they are crookedly crawling, And the wind breathes low; Slowly the circles widen on the river, Widen and mingle, one and all; Here and there the slenderer flowers shiver, Struck by an icy rain-drop’s fall.

James Russell Lowell

Rain, Flower, Fall

James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.7

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Now on the hills I hear the thunder mutter... Nearer and nearer rolls the thunder-clap, - You can hear the quick heart of the tempest beat.... Look! look! that livid flash! And instantly follows the rattling thunder, As if some cloud-crag, split asunder, Fell, splintering with a ruinous crash, On the Earth, which crouches in silence under; And now a solid gray wall of rain Shuts off the landscape, mile by mile.

James Russell Lowell

Wall, Rain, Heart

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Against the windows the storm comes dashing, Through tattered foliage the hail tears crashing, The blue lightning flashes, The rapid hail clashes... The thunder is rumbling And crashing and crumbling.

James Russell Lowell

Blue, Weather, Tears

James Russell Lowell (1873). “The Poetical Works of James R. Lowell: Complete in Two Volumes”, p.19

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Hush! Still as death, The tempest holds his breath As from a sudden will; The rain stops short, but from the eaves You see it drop, and hear it from the leaves, All is so bodingly still.

James Russell Lowell

Rain, Weather, Tempest

James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.45, Delphi Classics

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Again, now, now, again Plashes the rain in heavy gouts, The crinkled lightning Seems ever brightening... And loud and long Again the thunder shouts His battle-song, - One quivering flash, One wildering crash, Followed by silence dead and dull, As if the cloud, let go, Leapt bodily below To whelm the earth in one mad overthrow, And then a total lull.

James Russell Lowell

Letting Go, Song, Rain

James Russell Lowell (1876). “The Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell”, p.7

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The pale and quiet moon Makes her calm forehead bare, And the last fragments of the storm, Like shattered rigging from a fight at sea, Silent and few, are drifting over me.

James Russell Lowell

Fighting, Moon, Sea

James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.8

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And the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and that light.

James Russell Lowell

Light, Choices, Forever

James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.66

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To genius life never grows commonplace.

James Russell Lowell

Genius, Grows, Commonplace

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Men! whose boast it is that ye Come of fathers brave and free, If there breathe on earth a slave, Are ye truly free and brave?

James Russell Lowell

Father, Men, Brave

James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.52

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Virtue treads paths that end not in the grave.

James Russell Lowell

Path, Virtue, Ends

James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.756, Delphi Classics

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Count me o'er earth's chosen heroes, - they were souls that stood alone, While the men they agonized for hurled the contumelious stone, Stood serene, and down the future saw the golden beam incline To the side of perfect justice, mastered by their faith divine, By one man's plain truth to manhood and to God's supreme design.

James Russell Lowell

Hero, Men, Perfect

James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.66

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O visionary world, condition strange, Where naught abiding is but only change.

James Russell Lowell

Change, Abiding, Visionaries

James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.757, Delphi Classics

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A beggar through the world am I, From place to place I wander by. Fill up my pilgrim's scrip for me, For Christ's sweet sake and charity.

James Russell Lowell

Sweet, World, Charity

James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.40, Delphi Classics

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It is good To lengthen to the last a sunny mood.

James Russell Lowell

Lasts, Sunny, Mood

James Russell Lowell (1857). “Miscellaneous poems. Memorial verses. Sonnets. I-XXVII. L'Envoi. Vision of Sir Launfal”, p.61

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My gran'ther's rule was safer 'n 't is to crow: Don't never prophesy - onless ye know.

James Russell Lowell

Crow, Prophecy, Grans

James Russell Lowell (1890). “The Works of James Russell Lowell: Poetical works”

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The thing we long for, that we are For one transcendent moment.

James Russell Lowell

Long, Desire, Moments

James Russell Lowell (1871). “The poetical works of James Russell Lowell”, p.92

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Many-sidedness of culture makes our vision clearer and keener in particulars.

James Russell Lowell

Vision, Culture

James Russell Lowell (1904). “Literary and political addresses”

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If the devil take a less hateful shape to us than to our fathers, he is as busy with us as with them.

James Russell Lowell

Father, Devil, Shapes

James Russell Lowell (1870). “Among my Books, etc”, p.229

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God is not dumb, that he should speak no more;
If thou hast wanderings in the wilderness
And find'st not Sinai, 'tis thy soul is poor.

James Russell Lowell

Dumb, Soul, Religion

James Russell Lowell (2016). “Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)”, p.263, Delphi Classics

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Born: February 22, 1819
Died: August 12, 1891
Occupation: Poet
Cite this Page: Citation

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