But I do nothing upon myself, and yet I am my own executioner.
—John Donne
Topics: Mistakes
Whenever any affliction assails me, I have the keys of my prison in mine own hand, and no remedy presents it selfe so soone to my heart, as mine own sword. Often meditation of this hath wonne me to a charitable interpretation of their action, who dy so: and provoked me a little to watch and exagitate their reasons, which pronounce so peremptory judgments upon them.
—John Donne
Topics: Suicide
As virtuous men pass mildly away, and whisper to their souls to go, whilst some of their sad friends do say, the breath goes now, and some say no.
—John Donne
Topics: Dying, Death
For good and evil in our actions meet; wicked is not much worse than indiscreet.
—John Donne
Topics: Evil
Chastity is not chastity in an old man, but a disability to be unchaste.
—John Donne
Topics: Disability
Between cowardice and despair, valour is gendered.
—John Donne
Topics: Courage, Cowardice
As states subsist in part by keeping their weaknesses from being known, so is it the quiet of families to have their chancery and their parliament within doors, and to compose and determine all emergent differences there.
—John Donne
Topics: Family
Keep us, Lord, so awake in the duties of our calling that we may sleep in thy peace and wake in thy glory.
—John Donne
Topics: Prayer
There is nothing that God hath established in a constant course of nature, and which therefore is done every day, but would seem a Miracle, and exercise our admiration, if it were done but once.
—John Donne
Topics: Miracles, Wonder
Reason is our soul’s left hand, faith her right;
By these we reach divinity, that’s you;
Their loves, who have the blessing of your light,
Grew from their reason ; mine from fair faith grew.
—John Donne
Topics: Belief, Reason, Faith, One liners
Take me to you, imprison me, for I, except you enthrall me, never shall be free, nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.
—John Donne
When I died last, and, Dear, I die as often as from thee I go though it be but an hour ago and lovers hours be full eternity.
—John Donne
Topics: Last Words
Affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it.
—John Donne
Topics: Suffering
Death be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so. For, those, whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow. Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
—John Donne
Topics: Dying, Death
Let us love nobly, and live, and add again years and years unto years, till we attain to write threescore: this is the second of our reign.
—John Donne
Topics: Remembrance
Be your own palace, or the world is your jail.
—John Donne
Topics: Independence
Be thine own palace, or the world’s thy jail.
—John Donne
Topics: Self-reliance
Let me arrest thy thoughts; wonder with me, why plowing, building, ruling and the rest, or most of those arts, whence our lives are blest, by cursed Cain’s race invented be, and blest Seth vexed us with Astronomy.
—John Donne
Topics: Scientists, Science
We seem ambitious God’s whole work to undo.—With new diseases on ourselves we war, and with new physic, a worse engine far.
—John Donne
Topics: Medicine
He must pull out his own eyes, and see no creature, before he can say, he sees no God; He must be no man, and quench his reasonable soul, before he can say to himself, there is no God.
—John Donne
Topics: Atheism
And new Philosophy calls all in doubt, the element of fire is quite put out; the Sun is lost, and the earth, and no mans wit can well direct him where to look for it.
—John Donne
Topics: Philosophy, Wit, Philosophers
Despair is the damp of hell, as joy is the serenity of heaven.
—John Donne
Topics: Serenity, Despair, Doubt
To be no part of any body, is to be nothing.
—John Donne
Topics: The Body
As he that fears God hears nothing else, so, he that sees God sees every thing else.
—John Donne
Topics: Faith
God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice.
—John Donne
Love, all alike, no season knows, nor clime, nor hours, days, months, which are the rags of time.
—John Donne
Topics: Love
Pleasure is none, if not diversified.
—John Donne
Topics: Pleasure
One short sleep past, we wake eternally, and death shall be no more.
—John Donne
Topics: Immortality
Sleep is pain’s easiest salve, and doth fulfill all the offices of death, except to kill.
—John Donne
Topics: Sleep
As soon as there was two there was pride.
—John Donne
Topics: Pride
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- John Keats English Poet
- Enoch Powell British Politician
- George Herbert Welsh Anglican Poet
- John Webster English Dramatist
- George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) English Novelist
- John Milton English Poet
- Edmund Spenser English Poet
- Christina Rossetti English Poet
- William Shakespeare British Playwright
- Charles Lamb British Essayist, Poet
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