Inspirational Quotations

Inspirational Quotes by Heinrich Heine (German Poet, Writer)

Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) was a German poet and essayist. He is best known as the author of witty and subversive prose works, travel books, politics, and journalism. His liberal views and his attacks on orthodoxy made him a lightning rod among his contemporaries and successive generations.

Heine was born in Dusseldorf, which was then occupied by France and later became part of Prussia after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. He received a doctorate of law from Gottingen and converted from Judaism to Lutheranism to improve his prospects for a post in government or at a university. He was, however, unsuccessful and took up writing. He achieved early literary with the publication of his first volume of Reisebilder (Travel Sketches; 1824) Die Harzeise (Journey through the Harz Mountains; 1826,) and with the volume of collected poems Buch der Lieder (Book of Songs; 1827.) The latter sold progressively well and was printed 13 times during Heine’s lifespan.

In 1831, Heine moved to Paris to report on the French Revolution and settled there permanently. After that, his works became more political and acerbic. By 1835, the German government had banned his works. Heine uncle and patron died in 1844, leaving Heine poor. Yet, he produced A Winter’s Tale (1844,) a fictionalized account of his 1843 visit to Germany, and a collection of poetry New Poems (1844.)

Heine’s later lyric poetry, collected in Romanzero (1851) and Gedichte 1853 und 1854 (Poems: 1853 and 1854,) are considered to be the best poems he ever wrote.

Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, and other composers set many of Heine’s early lyric poetry to music.

One of Heine’s most famous poems, “Die Lorelei,” based on a German fairytale of an enthralling, seducing mermaid who lures seamen to their death, was set to music by numerous composers, including Friedrich Silcher and Franz Liszt.

More: Wikipedia READ: Works by Heinrich Heine

It is a common phenomenon that just the prettiest girls find it so difficult to get a man.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Girls

It must require an inordinate share of vanity and presumption, too, after enjoying so much that is good and beautiful on earth, to ask the Lord for immortality in addition to it all.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Vanity

Perfumes are the feelings of flowers.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Flowers

The spring’s already at the gate With looks my care beguiling; The country round appeareth straight A flower-garden smiling.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Spring

Great genius takes shape by contact with another great genius, but, less by assimilation than by fiction.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Genius

Whether a revolutions succeeds or fails people of great hearts will always be sacrificed to it.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Revolution, Revolutionaries, Revolutions

He that marries is like the Doge who was wedded to the Adriatic. He knows not what there is in that which he marries: mayhap treasures and pearls, mayhap monsters and tempests await him.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Marriage

Communism possesses a language which every people can understand.—Its elements are hunger, envy, and death.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Communism

The fundamental evil of the world arose from the fact that the good Lord has not created money enough.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Evil

Matrimony is the high sea for which no compass has yet to be invented.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Marriage

The foolish race of mankind are swarming below in the night; they shriek and rage and quarrel—and all of them are right.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Quarrels, Fighting, Fight

The Wedding March always reminds me of the music played when soldiers go into battle.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Soldiers

Sleep is lovely, death is better still, not to have been born is of course the miracle.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Sleep

There are more fools in the world than there are people.
Heinrich Heine

God will forgive me. It’s his job.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Sin

The weather-cock on the church spire, though made of iron, would soon be broken by the storm-wind if it … did not understand the noble art of turning to every wind.
Heinrich Heine

Be entirely tolerant or not at all; follow the good path or the evil one. To stand at the crossroads requires more strength than you possess.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Tolerance

Believe me, the much-praised lambs of humility would not bear themselves so meekly if they but possessed tiger’s claws.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Humility

Literary history is the great morgue where all seek the dead ones whom they love, or to whom they are related.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Literature

Mine is a most peaceable disposition. My wishes are: a humble cottage with a thatched roof, but a good bed, good food, the freshest milk and butter, flowers before my window, and a few fine trees before my door; and if God wants to make my happiness complete, He will grant me the joy of seeing some six or seven of my enemies hanging from those trees.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Simplicity

God will forgive me, that’s his business.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Forgiveness

If the Romans had been obliged to learn Latin they would never have found time to conquer the world.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Language

He only profits from praise who values criticism.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Criticism

Oh what lies lurk in kisses!
Heinrich Heine

Mark this well, ye proud men of action! ye are, after all, nothing but unconscious instruments of the men of thought.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Action, Thought

The men of the past had convictions, while we moderns have only opinions.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Opinion, Opinions

The lotus flower is troubled
At the sun’s resplendent light;
With sunken head and sadly
She dreamily waits for the night.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Flowers

Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Censorship, Book

In these days we fight for ideas, and newspapers are our fortresses.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Ideas, News

A blaspheming Frenchman is a spectacle more pleasing to the Lord than a praying Englishman.
Heinrich Heine
Topics: Britain

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