John Donne Quotes

"Affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it."

"And new Philosophy calls all in doubt, the element of fire is quite put out; the Sun is lost, and the earth, and no mans wit can well direct him where to look for it."

"Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

"Art is the most passionate orgy within man's grasp."

"As states subsist in part by keeping their weaknesses from being known, so is it the quiet of families to have their chancery and their parliament within doors, and to compose and determine all emergent differences there."

"As virtuous men pass mildly away, and whisper to their souls to go, whilst some of their sad friends do say, the breath goes now, and some say no."

"Busy old fool, unruly Sun, why dost thou thus through windows and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers seasons run?"

"But I do nothing upon myself, and yet I am my own executioner."

"Come live with me, and be my love, And we will some new pleasures prove, Of golden sands, and crystal brooks, With silken lines, and silver hooks."

"Contemplative and bookish men must of necessity be more quarrelsome than others, because they contend not about matter of fact, nor can determine their controversies by any certain witnesses, nor judges. But as long as they go towards peace, that is Truth, it is no matter which way."

"Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. For, those, whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow. Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me."

"Despair is the damp of hell, as joy is the serenity of heaven."

"For, thus friends absent speak."

"He must pull out his own eyes, and see no creature, before he can say, he sees no God; He must be no man, and quench his reasonable soul, before he can say to himself, there is no God."

"I observe the physician with the same diligence as the disease."

"Let us love nobly, and live, and add again years and years unto years, till we attain to write threescore: this is the second of our reign."

"Love built on beauty, soon as beauty, dies."

"Love is agrowing, to full constant light; and his first minute, after noon, is night."

"Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime, nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time."

"More than kisses, letters mingle souls."

"Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing."

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent."

"O, if thou car'st not whom I love alas, thou lov'st not me."

"Pleasure is none, if not diversified."

"Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right."

"Running it never runs from us away, but truly keeps his first, last, everlasting day."

"When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language."

"Wicked is not much worse than indiscreet."