Quotes by Pope, Alexander

"Sure of their qualities and demanding praise, more go to ruined fortunes than are raised."

Pope, Alexander on arrogance   

"Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends."

Pope, Alexander on loyalty
5 fans of this quote   

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"They dream in courtship, but in wedlock wake."

Pope, Alexander on marriage   

This quotation can be viewed in the context of a book

"Remembrance and reflection how allied. What thin partitions divides sense from thought."

Pope, Alexander on memory
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"Lulled in the countless chambers of the brain, our thoughts are linked by many a hidden chain; awake but one, and in, what myriads rise!"

Pope, Alexander on memory   

"Men dream of courtship, but in wedlock wake."

Pope, Alexander on men   

"Teach me to feel another's woe. To hide the fault I see: That the mercy I show to others; that mercy also show to me."

Pope, Alexander on mercy
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"Charm strikes the sight, but merit wins the soul."

Pope, Alexander on merit
3 fans of this quote   

"A man should never be ashamed to own that he is wrong, which is but saying in other words that he is wiser today than he was yesterday."

Pope, Alexander on mistakes   

"Two purposes in human nature rule. Self-love to urge, and reason to restrain."

Pope, Alexander on motivation   

"All nature is but art unknown to thee."

Pope, Alexander on nature   

"One who is too wise an observer of the business of others, like one who is too curious in observing the labor of bees, will often be stung for his curiosity."

Pope, Alexander on observation   

"An obstinate person does not hold opinions; they hold them."

Pope, Alexander on opinions   

"Order is Heaven's first law; and this confessed, some are, and must be, greater than the rest, more rich, more wise; but who infers from hence that such are happier, shocks all common sense. Condition, circumstance, is not the thing; bliss is the same in subject or in king."

Pope, Alexander on order   

"The ruling passion, be it what it will, The ruling passion conquers reason still."

Pope, Alexander on passion   

"Passions are the gales of life."

Pope, Alexander on passion   

"Our passions are like convulsion fits, which, though they make us stronger for a time, leave us the weaker ever after."

Pope, Alexander on passion   

"The hidden harmony is better than the obvious."

Pope, Alexander on art   

"Never elated when someone's oppressed, never dejected when another one's blessed."

Pope, Alexander on attitude
4 fans of this quote   

"Let sinful bachelors their woes deplore; full well they merit all they feel, and more: unaw by precepts, human or divine, like birds and beasts, promiscuously they join."

Pope, Alexander on bachelor   

"I find myself... hoping a total end of all the unhappy divisions of mankind by party-spirit, which at best is but the madness of many for the gain of a few."

Pope, Alexander on politics   

"Fondly we think we honor merit then, When we but praise ourselves in other men."

Pope, Alexander on praise   

"Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise."

Pope, Alexander on praise   

"All looks yellow to a jaundiced eye."

Pope, Alexander on prejudice
3 fans of this quote   

"At every trifle take offense, that always shows great pride or little sense."

Pope, Alexander on pride   

"Pride is still aiming at the best houses: Men would be angels, angels would be gods. Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell; aspiring to be angels men rebel."

Pope, Alexander on pride   

"Not to go back is somewhat to advance, and men must walk, at least, before they dance."

Pope, Alexander on progress   

"On life's vast ocean diversely we sail. Reasons the card, but passion the gale."

Pope, Alexander on reason   

"Learn to live well, or fairly make your will; you played, and loved, and ate, and drunk your fill: walk sober off; before a sprightlier age comes tittering on, and shoves you from the stage: leave such to trifle with more grace and ease, whom Folly pleases, and whose Follies please."

Pope, Alexander on retirement   

"One science only will one genius fit; so vast is art, so narrow human wit."

Pope, Alexander on science   

"Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man."

Pope, Alexander on knowledge   

"Trust not yourself, but your defects to know, make use of every friend and every foe."

Pope, Alexander on knowledge   

"There goes a saying, and 'twas shrewdly said, Old fish at table, but young flesh in bed."

Pope, Alexander on sex   

"By foreign hands thy humble grave adorned; By strangers honored, and by strangers mourned."

Pope, Alexander on anger   

"Beauties in vain their pretty eyes may roll; charms strike the sight, but merit wins the soul."

Pope, Alexander on beauty   

"Be not the first by which a new thing is tried, or the last to lay the old aside."

Pope, Alexander on change   

"Lo! thy dread empire, Chaos! is restored; dies before thy uncreating word: thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall; and universal darkness buries all."

Pope, Alexander on chaos   

"Honor and shame from no condition rise; Act well your part, there all the honor lies."

Pope, Alexander on character   

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot? The world forgetting, by the world forgot."

Pope, Alexander on chastity   

"The hungry judges soon the sentence sign, and wretches hang that jurymen may dine."

Pope, Alexander on trials