The old lose one of the greatest privileges of man, for they are no longer judged by their contemporaries.

[W]hat counts is that one perceives excellence and dares to give it expression, which sounds little but is in fact a great deal.

At bottom, no real object is unpoetical, if the poet knows how to use it properly.

The credit of advancing science has always been due to individuals and never to the age.

Art is constitutive-the artist determines beauty. He does not take it over.

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

Here too it’s masquerade, I find: As everywhere, the dance of mind. I grasped a lovely masked procession, And caught things from a horror show… I’d gladly settle for a false impression, If it would last a little longer, though.