What matters most is not the idea, but the capacity to believe in it completely.

Colloquial poetry is to the real art as the barber's wax dummy is to sculpture.

Come, let us pity those who are better off than we are. Come, my friend, and remember that the rich have butlers and no friends, And we have friends and no butlers. (excerpt from 'The Garrett')

A man's hope measures his civilization. The attainability of the hope measures, or may measure, the civilization of his nation and time.

Somebody said that I am the last American living the tragedy of Europe.

A crowd pagan as ever imperial Rome was, eager, careless, with an animal vigour unlike that of any European crowd that I have ever looked at.

What matters most is not the idea, but the capacity to believe in it completely.