portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Saturday, January 29, 2011

John Donne quotes
Inspired to check by a quote on a Van Morrison bootleg (available over in 'Music') I present some of my favourite John Donne  quotes - some were my Dad's favourites too!

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

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

I am two fools, I know, for loving, and for saying so in whining poetry.

God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice.

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

Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail.

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.
John Donne's House - Pyrford, Surrey

2 comments:

Frangipan said...

I love John Donne, he is filled with so much wit and wisdom.

sealy said...

Seconded

BTW..I love Frangipan too!!