It ought to be illegal for an artist to marry. If the artist must marry let him find someone more interested in art, or his art, or the artist part of him, than in him. After which let them take tea together three times a week.
—Ezra Pound (1885-1972) American Poet, Translator, Critic
Marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
She is a wife who is the soul of her husband.
—The Hitopadesha Indian Collection of Fables
Only so far as a man is happily married to himself, is he fit for married life to another, and for family life generally.
—Novalis (1772–1801) German Romantic Poet, Novelist
The very essence of romance is uncertainty. If I ever marry, I’ll try to forget the fact.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
The Christian religion, by confining marriage to pairs, and rendering the relation indissoluble, has by these two things done more toward the peace, happiness, settlement, and civilization of the world, than by any other part in this whole scheme of divine wisdom.
—Edmund Burke (1729–97) British Philosopher, Statesman
There is no more lovely, friendly, and charming relationship, communion, or company than a good marriage.
—Martin Luther (1483–1546) German Protestant Theologian
Pleasant the snaffle of courtship, improving the manners and carriage; but the colt who is wise will abstain from the terrible throw bit of Marriage.
—Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) British Writer, Poet, Novelist, Short Story Author
Marriage is one long conversation, checkered by disputes.
—Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94) Scottish Novelist
Thus grief still treads upon the heels of pleasure; Married in haste, we may repent at leisure.
—William Congreve (1670–1729) English Playwright, Poet
Long engagements give people the opportunity of finding out each other’s character before marriage, which is never advisable.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
No man worth his salt, no man of spirit and spine, no man for whom I could have any respect, could rejoice in the identification of Tallulah’s husband. It’s tough enough to be bogged down in a legend. It would be even tougher to marry one.
—Tallulah Bankhead (1902–68) American Actress
Try to take for a mate a person of your own neighborhood.
—Hesiod (f.700 BCE) Greek Poet
He will hold thee, when his passion shall have spent its novel force, something better than his dog, a little dearer than his horse.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
A woman must be a genius to create a good husband.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
I have come to the conclusion never again to think of marrying, and for this reason, I can never be satisfied with anyone who would be blockhead enough to have me.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Marriage enlarges the scene of our happiness and of our miseries.—A marriage of love is pleasant—of interest, easy, and where both meet, happy.—A happy marriage has in it all the pleasures of friendship, all the enjoyments of sense and reason, and, indeed, all the sweets of life.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
The love of some men for their wivess like that of Alfieri for his horse. “My attachment for him,” said he, “went so far as to destroy my peace every time that he had the least ailment; but my love for him did not prevent me from fretting and chafing him whenever he did not wish to go my way.”
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869–1948) Indian Hindu Political leader
Marriage is the only adventure open to the cowardly.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
The world has suffered more from the ravages of ill-advised marriages than from virginity.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Why does a woman work ten years to change a man’s habits and then complain that he’s not the man she married?
—Barbra Streisand (b.1942) American Musician, Actor, Songwriter
Age and marriage tame the beast.
—Haitian Proverb
From my experience, not one in twenty marries the first love; we build statues of snow, and weep to see them melt.
—Walter Scott (1771–1832) Scottish Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Lawyer
God’s great cosmic joke on the human race was requiring that men and women live together in marriage
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright
Three things drive a man outdoors; smoke, a leaking roof and a scolding wife.
—Common Proverb
My whole working philosophy is that the only stable happiness for mankind is that it shall live married in blessed union to woman-kind—intimacy, physical and psychical between a man and his wife. I wish to add that my state of bliss is by no means perfect.
—D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930) English Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Essayist, Critic
Where there’s marriage without love, there will be love without marriage.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
Leave a Reply