He who does not become familiar with nature through love will never know her.

Imagination must first be filled to the point of saturation with life of every kind before the moment arrives when the friction of free sociability electrifies it to such an extent that the most gentle stimulus of friendly or hostile contact elicits from it lightning sparks, luminous flashes, or shattering blows.

One should have wit, but not wish to have it; otherwise there will be witticism, the Alexandrian style of wit.

Strictly speaking, the idea of a scientific poem is probably as nonsensical as that of a poetic science.

He who has religion will speak poetry. But philosophy is the tool with which to seek and discover religion.

A genuinely free and educated man should be able to tune himself, as one tunes a musical instrument, absolutely arbitrarily, at his convenience at any time and to any degree, philosophically or philologically, critically or poetically, historically or rhetorically, in ancient or modern form.

Prudishness is pretense of innocence without innocence. Women have to remain prudish as long as men are sentimental, dense, and evil enough to demand of them eternal innocence and lack of education. For innocence is the only thing which can ennoble lack of education.