37 quotes
Irish poet and playwright (1865–1939)
“Why should we honour those that die upon the field of battle? A man may show as reckless a courage in entering into the abyss of himself.”
"Wine comes in at the mouth And love comes in at the eye That's all we shall know for truth Before we grow old and die."
on Love
"Style personality - deliberately adopted and therefore a mask - is the only escape from the hot-faced bargainers and money-changers."
on Society
"But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."
"In dreams begins responsibility."
on Life
"Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth, We are happy when we are growing."
on Happiness
"The innocent and the beautiful have no enemy but time."
on Time
"To be born woman is to know - although they do not speak of it at school - women must labor to be beautiful."
on Gender
"I think it better that in times like these a poet's mouth be silent, for in truth we have no gift to set a statesman right."
on Politics
"Man can embody truth but he cannot know it."
on Truth
"Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."
"Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand."
on Emotion
"I heard the old, old, men say 'all that's beautiful drifts away, like the waters.'"
"There are no strangers here Only friends you haven't yet met."
on Friendship
"Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot but make it hot by striking."
on Motivation
"If suffering brings wisdom, I would wish to be less wise."
on Wisdom
"The worst thing about some men is that when they are not drunk they are sober."
on Humor
"The light of lights looks always on the motive, not the deed, the shadow of shadows on the deed alone."
"The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless obeisance to the heart."
"The best lack all conviction while the worst Are full of passionate intensity."
on Philosophy
"No man has ever lived that had enough of children's gratitude or woman's love."
