I am a part of the part that at first was all, part of the darkness that gave birth to the light, that supercilious light which now disputes with Mother Night her ancient rank and space, and yet cannot succeed; no matter how it struggles, it sticks to matter and can't get free. Light flows from substance, makes it beautiful.

I curse all negative purism that tells me not to use a word from another language that either expresses something that my own language cannot or does that in a more delicate manner.

How circumscribed is woman's destiny!

If you wish a wise answer, you must put a rational question.

The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities; but to know someone who thinks and feels with us, and who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.

Fools and wise men are equally harmless. It is the half-fools and half-wise that are dangerous.

A vain man can never be utterly ruthless: he wants to win applause and therefore he accommodates himself to others