There are two kinds of weakness, that which breaks and that which bends. James Russell Lowell More Quotes by James Russell Lowell More Quotes From James Russell Lowell Evil is a far more cunning and persevering propagandist than good, for it has no inward strength, and is driven to seek countenance and sympathy. James Russell Lowell inward driven evil To fail at all is to fail utterly. James Russell Lowell failure failing The path of nature is, indeed, a narrow one, and it is only the immortals that seek it, and, when they find it, do not find themselves cramped therein. James Russell Lowell nature path New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth; They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth. James Russell Lowell ancient onward-and-upward progress Beauty hath no true glass, except it be in the sweet privacy of loving eyes. James Russell Lowell eye sweet beauty In all literary history there is no such figure as Dante, no such homogeneousness of life and works, such loyalty to ideas, such sublime irrecognition of the unessential. James Russell Lowell sublime loyalty ideas Then to side with Truth is noble when we share her wretched crust, Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 't is prosperous to be just; Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside, Doubting in his abject spirit, till his Lord is crucified. James Russell Lowell truth bravery men There is no work of genius which has not been the delight of mankind, no word of genius to which the human heart and soul have not sooner or later responded. James Russell Lowell genius soul heart When I was a beggarly boy, And lived in a cellar damp, I had not a friend nor a toy, But I had Aladdin's lamp. James Russell Lowell lamps friends boys But life is sweet, though all that makes it sweet. Lessen like sound of friends departing feet; And death is beautiful as feet of friend. Coming with welcome at our journey's end. James Russell Lowell beautiful sweet death Life is the jailer, death the angel sent to draw the unwilling bolts and set us free. James Russell Lowell angel dying death Though old the thought and oft exprest, Tis his at last who says it best. James Russell Lowell lasts writing 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. James Russell Lowell government names reality Democracy is nothing more than an experiment in government, more likely to succeed in a new soil, but likely to be tried in all soils, which must stand or fall on its own merits as others have done before it. For there is no trick of perpetual motion in politics any more than in mechanics. James Russell Lowell democracy government fall There is no better ballast for keeping the mind steady on its keel, and saving it from all risk of crankiness, than business. James Russell Lowell risk business advice He gives only the worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty. James Russell Lowell duty gold giving New occasions teach new duties. James Russell Lowell onward-and-upward teach duty A wise skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic. James Russell Lowell criticism wisdom wise Old events have modern meanings; only that survives of past history which finds kindred in all hearts and lives. James Russell Lowell heart history past All thoughts that mold the age begin deep down within the primitive soul. James Russell Lowell soul age ideas
