Quotes by John Donne
Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail.
No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face.
I am two fools, I know, for loving, and for saying so in whining poetry.
Humiliation is the beginning of sanctification.
Since you would save none of me, I bury some of you.
The day breaks not, it is my heart.
For God's sake hold your tongue, and let me love.
Reason is our soul's left hand, faith her right.
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.
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.
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.
More than kisses, letters mingle souls.
Reason is our soul's left hand, Faith her right.
Affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it.
Love is agrowing, to full constant light; and his first minute, after noon, is night.
When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language.
Pleasure is none, if not diversified.
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.
Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime, nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
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.
Running it never runs from us away, but truly keeps his first, last, everlasting day.
I observe the physician with the same diligence as the disease.
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.
Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing.
But I do nothing upon myself, and yet I am my own executioner.
