The youth of an art is, like the youth of anything else, its most interesting period. When it has come to the knowledge of good and evil it is stronger, but we care less about it.

[P]oetry resembles metaphysics: one does not mind one's own, but one does not like anyone else's.

Look before you leap for as you sow, ye are like to reap.

Books are like imprisoned souls till someone takes them down from a shelf and frees them.

Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds

If God wants us to do a thing, he should make his wishes sufficiently clear. Sensible people will wait till he has done this before paying much attention to him.

I do not mind lying, but I hate inaccuracy.