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John Dryden

John Dryden Quotes

Poet

John Dryden, born on August 9, 1631, and died on May 12, 1700, was a prominent English poet and dramatist of the 17th century. His works have had a profound impact on English literature, particularly in the field of drama, and he is considered one of the founders of English drama.

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All Men Firsts Life Ifs Soul Mind Love Literature May Thinking Pleasure Age Fate Kind Knows Heaven Long Made World Reason

Famous John Dryden Quotes

“Democracy is essentially anti-authoritarian--that is, it not only demands the right but imposes the responsibility of thinking for ourselves.”

Thinking Responsibility Democracy Demand

Author:John Dryden

“Trust on and think To-morrow will repay; To-morrow's falser than the former day; Lies worse; and while it says, we shall be blest With some new Joys, cuts off what we possest.”

Thinking Joy Lying Cutting Tomorrow Former Morrow

Book:The works of John Dryden now first collected ...

Source: The works of John Dryden now first collected ...

“If all the world be worth thy winning. / Think, oh think it worth enjoying: / Lovely Thaïs sits beside thee, / Take the good the gods provide thee.”

Ifs Thinking World Winning Enjoy Lovely Thee God Provides

Book:The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, Esq: Containing All His Original Poems, Tales, and Translations ...

Source: The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, Esq: Containing All His Original Poems, Tales, and Translations ...

“My heart's so full of joy, That I shall do some wild extravagance Of love in public; and the foolish world, Which knows not tenderness, will think me mad.”

Thinking Knows World Heart Joy My Heart Mad Foolish Tenderness Extravagance

Author:John Dryden

“Let those find fault whose wit's so very small, They've need to show that they can think at all; Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; He who would search for pearls, must dive below. Fops may have leave to level all they can; As pigmies would be glad to lop a man. Half-wits are fleas; so little and so light, We scarce could know they live, but that they bite.”

Thinking Knows Men Needs May Littles Shows Light Would Be Levels Half Flow Errors Faults Surface Wit Glad Bites Pearls Scarce Straws Fleas

Book:The Poetical Works of John Dryden

Source: The Poetical Works of John Dryden

“Virgil is so exact in every word, that none can be changed but for a worse; nor any one removed from its place, but the harmony will be altered. He pretends sometimes to trip; but it is only to make you think him in danger of a fall, when he is most secure.”

Thinking Sometimes Fall Danger Changed Harmony Secure Altered Make You Think

Book:The art of painting of Charles Alphonse Du Fresnoy

Source: The art of painting of Charles Alphonse Du Fresnoy

“None would live past years again, Yet all hope pleasure in what yet remain; And, from the dregs of life, think to receive, What the first sprightly running could not give.”

Thinking Giving Years Firsts Running Past Pleasure Dregs

Author:John Dryden

“Farewell, too little, and too lately known, Whom I began to think and call my own.”

Thinking Littles My Own Known Farewell

Author:John Dryden

“The unhappy man, who once has trail'd a pen, Lives not to please himself, but other men; Is always drudging, wastes his life and blood, Yet only eats and drinks what you think good.”

Thinking Men Blood Drink Please Waste Unhappy Pens Trails Authorship

Book:The poetical works of John Dryden, esq: containing original poems, tales, and translations, with notes

Source: The poetical works of John Dryden, esq: containing original poems, tales, and translations, with notes

“For what can power give more than food and drink, To live at ease, and not be bound to think?”

Thinking Giving Drink Bounds Ease Food And Drink

Book:The Poetical Works of John Dryden

Source: The Poetical Works of John Dryden

“Old age creeps on us ere we think it nigh.”

Thinking Age Old Age Creeps

Book:The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis: and of Aulus Persius Flaccus

Source: The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis: and of Aulus Persius Flaccus

“They think too little who talk too much.”

Thinking Littles Too Much

Author:John Dryden

“I strongly wish for what I faintly hope; like the daydreams of melancholy men, I think and think in things impossible, yet love to wander in that golden maze.”

Thinking Men Wish Impossible Golden Wander Melancholy Daydreaming Mazes

Author:John Dryden

“When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat; Yet, fooled with hope, men favour the deceit; Trust on, and think tomorrow will repay. Tomorrow's falser than the former day.”

Thinking Men Life Tomorrow Former Deceit Cheat Favour Fooled

Book:Delphi Complete Works of John Dryden (Illustrated)

Source: Delphi Complete Works of John Dryden (Illustrated)

“If by the people you understand the multitude, the hoi polloi, 'tis no matter what they think; they are sometimes in the right, sometimes in the wrong; their judgment is a mere lottery.”

People Ifs Thinking Sometimes Matter Understanding Judgment No Matter What Mere Multitudes Lottery

Author:John Dryden

“When I consider life, 't is all a cheat. Yet fool'd with hope, men favour the deceit; Trust on, and think to-morrow will repay. To-morrow 's falser than the former day; Lies worse, and while it says we shall be blest With some new joys, cuts off what we possest. Strange cozenage! none would live past years again, Yet all hope pleasure in what yet remain; And from the dregs of life think to receive What the first sprightly running could not give.”

Thinking Men Life Giving Years Firsts Running Past Joy Lying Pleasure Cutting Strange Fool Former Deceit Cheat Favour Morrow Dregs

Author:John Dryden

“Softly sweet, in Lydian measures, Soon he sooth'd his soul to pleasures. War, he sung, is toil and trouble; Honour but an empty bubble; Never ending, still beginning, Fighting still, and still destroying. If all the world be worth the winning, Think, oh think it worth enjoying: Lovely Thais sits beside thee, Take the good the gods provide thee.”

Ifs Thinking World Stills War Soul Fighting Winning Enjoy Pleasure Trouble Sweet Empty Lovely Thee Honour Destroying Bubbles Toil Never Ending God Provides

Book:Poetical Works: With a Memoir

Source: Poetical Works: With a Memoir

“But far more numerous was the herd of such, Who think too little, and who talk too much.”

Thinking Littles Literature Leadership Too Much Herds

Author:John Dryden

“When the Sun sets, shadows, that shew'd at Noon But small, appear most long and terrible; So, when we think Fate hovers o'er our Heads, Our apprehensions shoot beyond all bounds, Owls, Ravens, Crickets seem the watch of death, Nature's worst Vermine scare her God-like Sons. Ecchoes the very leavings of a Voice, Grow babling Ghosts, and call us to our Graves: Each Mole-hill thought swells to a huge Olympus, While we fantastick Dreamers heave and puff, And sweat with an Imagination's weight.”