“Men are still men. The despot's wickedness Comes of ill teaching, and of power's excess,-- Comes of the purple he from childhood wears, Slaves would be tyrants if the chance were theirs.” IfsMenStillsWould BeChanceTeachingChildhoodSlaveIllTyrannyTyrantsExcessWickednessPurpleDespots Book:Poems. The history of a crime Source: Poems. The history of a crime
“I've always been aware of the otherworld, of spirits that exist in that twilight place that lies in the corner of our eyes, of fairie and stranger things still that we spy only when we're not really paying attention to them, whispers and flickering shadows, here one moment, gone the instant we turn our heads for a closer look. But I couldn't always find them. And when I did, for a long time I thought they were only this excess of imagination that I carry around inside me, that somehow it was leaking out of me into the world.” WorldLooksLongStillsMomentsEyeSpiritLyingTurnsImaginationAttentionGoneLong TimeShadowCornersStrangerPay AttentionInstantExcessTwilightSpy Author:Charles de Lint
“Tis possible, young sir, that some excess Mars youthful judgment and old men's no less; Yet we must take our counsel as we may For (flying years this lesson still convey), 'Tis worst unwisdom to be overwise, And not to use, but still correct one's eyes.” MenYearsMayStillsUseEyeYoungWorstLessonsJudgmentFlyingOld ManExcessMars Book:Selected poems Source: Selected poems
“[In response to Alfred Tennyson's poem "Vision of Sin," which included the line "Every moment dies a man, every moment one is born."] If this were true, the population of the world would be at a stand-still. In truth, the rate of birth is slightly in excess of death. I would suggest that the next edition of your poem should read: "Every moment dies a man, every moment 1 [and] 1/16 is born." Strictly speaking, the actual figure is so long I cannot get it into a line, but I believe the figure 1 [and] 1/16 will be sufficiently accurate for poetry.” IfsMenWorldShouldBelieveLongStillsMomentsWould BeDiesNextI BelieveBornLinesSinVisionFiguresBirthResponseRatePopulationExcessAccurateTennyson Author:Charles Babbage