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James Russell Lowell Quotes

Poet

James Russell Lowell was an American poet, born on February 22, 1819, and died on August 12, 1891. His poetry is known for its profound social insights and admiration for nature.

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All Men Heart Literature May World Ifs Giving Soul Life Long Earth Knows Past Thinking Truth Genius Hands Eye Firsts Heaven

Famous James Russell Lowell Quotes

“Dear common flower, that grow'st beside the way, Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold, First pledge of blithesome May, Which children pluck, and, full of pride uphold.”

Way Firsts May Children Grows Common Flower Pride Gold Dear Pledge Pluck May Flowers Flowers Growing

Book:The poetical works of James Russell Lowell

Source: The poetical works of James Russell Lowell

“A father of the church said that property was theft, many centuries before Proudhon was born. Bourdaloue reaffirmed it. Montesquieu was the inventor of national workshops and of the theory that the state owed every man a living. Nay, was not the church herself the first organized democracy?”

Men Firsts Said States Father Born Church Democracy Century Theory Property Every Man Organized Theft Inventor Workshops Montesquieu

Book:Books and Libraries: Democracy, and Other Papers

Source: Books and Libraries: Democracy, and Other Papers

“Christ was the first true democrat that ever breathed, as the old dramatist Dekkar said he was the first true gentleman.”

Firsts Said Christ Democracy Democrat Gentleman True Gentleman

Book:The Writings of James Russell Lowell in Prose and Poetry ...

Source: The Writings of James Russell Lowell in Prose and Poetry ...

“The opening of the first grammar school was the opening of the first trench against monopoly in Church and State.”

Firsts States School Church Education Opening Grammar Monopoly Church And State Trenches Grammar School

Book:Among my Books, etc

Source: Among my Books, etc

“There are two kinds of genius. The first and highest may be said to speak out of the eternal to the present, and must compel its age to understand it; the second understands its age, and tells it what it wishes to be told.”

Firsts Kind May Said Two Age Speak Wish Genius Eternal Highest Speaks Out

Book:The North American Review

Source: The North American Review

“It is right precious to behold The first long surf of climbing light Flood all the thirsty east with gold.”

Firsts Long Light Gold East Climbing Flood Sunrise Surf Thirsty

Book:The poetical works of James Russell Lowell

Source: The poetical works of James Russell Lowell

“Truth always has a bewitching savor of newness in it, and novelty at the first taste recalls that original sweetness to the tongue; but alas for him who would make the one a substitute for the other.”

Firsts Truth Taste Originals Tongue Substitutes Recalls Sweetness Alas Novelty Newness

Book:My Study Windows

Source: My Study Windows

“The first lesson of life is to burn our own smoke; that is, not to inflict on outsiders our personal sorrows and petty morbidness, not to keep thinking of ourselves as exceptional cases.”

Thinking Firsts Life Is Cases Sorrow Lessons Smoke Life Lesson Outsiders Petty Exceptional

Author:James Russell Lowell

“A wise skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic.”

Firsts Wisdom Wise Criticism Critics Attributes Skepticism

Author:James Russell Lowell

“All free governments, whatever their name, are in reality governments by public opinion ; and it is on the quality of this public opinion that their prosperity depends. It is, therefore, their first duty to purify the element from which they draw the breath of life.”

Firsts Reality Government Names Quality Opinion Duty Depends Elements Draws Breaths Prosperity Public Opinion Free Government

Book:Essays, English and American

Source: Essays, English and American

“The child is not mine as the first was, I cannot sing it to rest, I cannot lift it up fatherly And bliss it upon my breast; Yet it lies in my little one's cradle And sits in my little one's chair, And the light of the heaven she's gone to Transfigures its golden hair.”

Firsts Children Littles Light Lying Heaven Gone Mines Hair Golden Lifts Breasts Chairs Bless Cradle Golden Hair

Author:James Russell Lowell

“There comes Emerson first, whose rich words, every one, Are like gold nails in temples to hang trophies on.”

Firsts Rich Gold Temples Nails Trophies

Book:Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)

About the Author

Born: February 22, 1819
Died: August 12, 1891
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 455

Books & Sources

The poetical works of James Russell LowellRelated source material

Delphi Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell (Illustrated)Related source material

Conversations on Some of the Old PoetsRelated source material

My Study WindowsRelated source material

PoemsRelated source material

Among my Books, etcRelated source material

Literary and political addressesRelated source material

Fireside TravelsRelated source material

Among My BooksRelated source material

Essays, English and AmericanRelated source material

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