Alexander Pope

Let me tell you I am better acquainted with you for a long absence, as men are with themselves for a long affliction: absence does but hold off a friend, to make one see him the truer.

— Alexander Pope

Fools admire, but men of sense approve.

— Alexander Pope

Some old men, continually praise the time of their youth. In fact, you would almost think that there were no fools in their days, but unluckily they themselves are left as an example.

— Alexander Pope

Men would be angels, angels would be gods.

— Alexander Pope

We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

— Alexander Pope

True disputants are like true sportsman: their whole delight is in the pursuit.

— Alexander Pope

When much dispute has past, we find our tenets just the same as last.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

The hidden harmony is better than the obvious.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

Behold the child, by nature's kindly law, pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw.

— Alexander Pope

I am his Highness dog at Kew; pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?

— Alexander Pope

True politeness consists in being easy one's self, and in making every one about one as easy as one can.

— Alexander Pope

Blest paper-credit! last and best supply! That lends corruption lighter wings to fly!

— Alexander Pope

Did some more sober critics come abroad? If wrong, I smil'd; if right, I kiss'd the rod.

— Alexander Pope

A person who is too nice an observer of the business of the crowd, like one who is too curious in observing the labor of bees, will often be stung for his curiosity.

— Alexander Pope

Good God! how often are we to die before we go quite off this stage? In every friend we lose a part of ourselves, and the best part.

— Alexander Pope

Satan is wiser now than before, and tempts by making rich instead of poor.

— Alexander Pope

Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed was the ninth beatitude.

— Alexander Pope

Education forms the common mind. Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined.

— Alexander Pope

Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?

— Alexander Pope

An excuse is worse than a lie, for an excuse is a lie, guarded.

— Alexander Pope

Why has not man a microscopic eye? For the plain reason man is not a fly.

— Alexander Pope

I was not born for courts and great affairs, but I pay my debts, believe and say my prayers.

— Alexander Pope

What's fame? a fancy'd life in other's breath. A thing beyond us, even before our death.

— Alexander Pope

The worst of madmen is a saint run mad.

— Alexander Pope

We think our fathers fools, so wise we grow. Our wiser sons, no doubt will think us so.

— Alexander Pope

Fools rush in where Angels fear to tread.

— Alexander Pope

To err is human, to forgive is divine.

— Alexander Pope

How shall I lose the sin, yet keep the sense, and love the offender, yet detest the offence?

— Alexander Pope

Many people are capable of doing a wise thing, more a cunning thing, but very few a generous thing.

— Alexander Pope

At every word a reputation dies.

— Alexander Pope

And all who told it added something new, and all who heard it, made enlargements too.

— Alexander Pope

For Forms of Government let fools contest; whatever is best administered is best.

— Alexander Pope

Happy the man whose wish and care a few paternal acres bound, content to breathe his native air in his own ground.

— Alexander Pope

Know then this truth, enough for man to know virtue alone is happiness below.

— Alexander Pope

To be angry is to revenge the faults of others on ourselves.

— Alexander Pope

Health consists with temperance alone.

— Alexander Pope

An honest man's the noblest work of God.

— Alexander Pope

Act well your part; there all honor lies.

— Alexander Pope

If, presume not to God to scan; The proper study of Mankind is Man. Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state, a being darkly wise, and rudely great.

— Alexander Pope

No one should be ashamed to admit they are wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that they are wiser today than they were yesterday.

— Alexander Pope

Fix'd like a plan on his peculiar spot, to draw nutrition, propagate, and rot.

— Alexander Pope

Die and endow a college or a cat.

— Alexander Pope

But thousands die without or this or that, die, and endow a college, or a cat: To some, indeed, Heaven grants the happier fate, Tenrich a bastard, or a son they hate.

— Alexander Pope

For virtue's self may too much zeal be had; the worst of madmen is a saint run mad.

— Alexander Pope

You beat your Pate, and fancy Wit will come: Knock as you please, there's no body at home.

— Alexander Pope

It is with our judgments as with our watches: no two go just alike, yet each believes his own.

— Alexander Pope

Curse on all laws, but those that love has made.

— Alexander Pope

A little learning is a dangerous thing. Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring; There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain; And drinking largely sobers us again.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

They dream in courtship, but in wedlock wake.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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!

— Alexander Pope

Men dream of courtship, but in wedlock wake.

— Alexander Pope

Teach me to feel another's Woe. To hide the Fault I see; That mercy I to others show, That Mercy show to me.

— Alexander Pope

Charm strikes the sight, but merit wins the soul.

— Alexander Pope

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.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

All nature is but art unknown to thee.

— Alexander Pope

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.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

Passions are the gales of life.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise.

— Alexander Pope

All looks yellow to a jaundiced eye.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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.

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

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

— Alexander Pope

Like Cato, give his little senate laws, and sit attentive to his own applause.

— Alexander Pope

On wrongs swift vengeance waits.

— Alexander Pope

Virtuous and vicious everyone must be; few in extremes, but all in degree.

— Alexander Pope

To endeavor to work upon the vulgar with fine sense is like attempting to hew blocks with a razor.

— Alexander Pope

But Satan now is wiser than of yore, and tempts by making rich, not making poor.

— Alexander Pope

True wit is nature to advantage dressed, what oft was thought, but never so well expressed.

— Alexander Pope

Most women have no characters at all.

— Alexander Pope

Most authors steal their works, or buy.

— Alexander Pope

Ten censure wrong, for one that writes amiss.

— Alexander Pope

Why did I write? What sin to me unknown dipped me in ink, my parents , or my own?

— Alexander Pope

True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, as those move easiest who have learned to dance. 'Tis not enough no harshness gives offence. The sound must seem an echo to the sense.

— Alexander Pope

In Words, as Fashions, the same Rule will hold;Alike Fantastick, if too New, or Old;Be not the first by whom the New are tryd,Nor yet the last to lay the Old aside.

— Alexander Pope

Scarce any Tale was sooner heard than told;And all who told it, added something new,And all who heard it, made Enlargements too,In evry Ear it spread, on evry Tongue it grew.

— Alexander Pope