I wonder whether art has a higher function than to make me feel, appreciate, and enjoy natural objects for their art value?

Between truth and the search for it, I choose the second.

German is of stone, limestone, pudding stone, marble, granite even, and so to a considerable degree is English, whereas French is bronze and gives out a metallic resonance with tones that neither German nor English tolerate.

You can parody and make fun of almost anything, but that does not turn the universe into a caricature.

Pessimism like calumny is easy to do, and attracts immediate attention. The gossiper and the writer may find this out soon enough, and a little encouragement from the current mood will procure them successes that bring endless imitators in their trail. On the other hand saying good things about life in general and individuals in particular and making it interesting is a serious task which few can achieve with credit.

I would I could stand on a busy corner, hat in hand, and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours.

We usually meet all of our relatives only at funerals where somebody always observes: "Too bad we can't get together more often".