To fight aloud is very brave, but gallanter, I know, who charge within the bosom, the Cavalry of Woe.
—Emily Dickinson (1830–86) American Poet
If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
If there is a hell upon earth it is to be found in a melancholy man’s heart.
—Robert Burton (1577–1640) English Scholar, Clergyman
If we are more affected by the ruin of a palace than by the conflagration of a cottage, our humanity must have formed a very erroneous estimate of the miseries of human life.
—Edward Gibbon (1737–94) English Historian, Politician
Sorrow is mere rust of the soul; activity will cleanse and brighten it.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
In this sad world of ours, sorry comes to all, and it often comes with bitter agony. Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now believe that you will ever feel better. But this is not true. You are sure to be happy again. Knowing this, truly believing it, will make you less miserable now.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
The worst sorrows in life are not in its losses and misfortunes, but its fears.
—A. C. Benson (1862–1925) English Essayist, Poet, Author
Pain and fear and hunger are effects of causes which can be foreseen and known: but sorrow is a debt which someone else makes for us.
—Freya Stark (1893–1993) British Explorer, Writer
Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seamed with scars; martyrs have put on their coronation robes glittering with fire, and through their tears have the sorrowful first seen the gates of Heaven.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
The excursion is the same when you go looking for your sorrow as when you go looking for your joy.
—Eudora Welty (1909–2001) American Short Story Writer, Novelist
Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of good wine
—Thomas Aquinas (1225–74) Italian Catholic Priest, Philosopher, Theologian
He who has not looked on Sorrow will never see Joy.
—Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) Lebanese-born American Philosopher, Poet, Painter, Theologian, Sculptor
Sorrow is a fruit. God does not make it grow on limbs too weak to bear it.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
It is the veiled angel of sorrow who plucks away one thing and another that bound us here in ease and security, and, in the vanishing of these dear objects, indicates the true home of our affections and our peace.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
Since sorrow never comes too late And happiness too swiftly flies.
—Thomas Gray (1716–71) English Poet, Book Collector
Ah, this beautiful world! Indeed, I know not what to think of it. Sometimes it is all gladness and sunshine, and heaven itself lies not far off; and then it suddenly changes and is dark and sorrowful, and the clouds shut out the day. In the lives of the saddest of us there are bright days when we feel as if we could take the great world in our arms. Then come the gloomy hours, when all without and within is dismal, cold, and dark. Believe me, every heart has its secret sorrows, which the world knows not; and oftentimes we call a man cold when he is only sad.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–82) American Poet, Educator, Academic
Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Sorrow is the handmaid of God, not of Satan.—She would lead us, as she did the Psalmist, to say, “Who will show us any good?” that after having said this we may also say with him, “Lord, lift thou the light of thy countenance upon us.”
—Arthur Sherburne Hardy (1847–1930) American Engineer, Educator, Editor, Diplomat, Novelist, Poet
The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.
—John Vance Cheney (1848–1922) American Poet, Essayist, Librarian
Night brings out stars as sorrow shows us truths.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the sadness of the face the heart is made better.
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
Don’t let your sorrow come higher than your knees
—Swedish Proverb
Waste no tears over the griefs of yesterday.
—Euripides (480–406 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
We come to learn that it does not pay to grieve too much over our errors. Ordinarily we try to do the best we can.
—Thomas Masson (1866–1934) American Journalist, Humorist, Author
The sorrows and disasters of Europe always brought fortune to America.
—Stephen Leacock (1869–1944) Canadian Political Scientist, Humorist
A coal fire softens iron, and sorrow softens a man’s heart, but both revert to the original hardness.
—Austin O’Malley (1858–1932) American Aphorist, Ophthalmologist
The violence of sorrow is not at the first to be striven withal; being, like a mighty beast, sooner tamed with following than overthrown by withstanding.
—Philip Sidney (1554–86) English Soldier Poet, Courtier
Sorrow comes to all…Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now realize that you will ever feel better and yet you are sure to be happy again.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
A man who is master of himself can end a sorrow as easily as he can invent a pleasure. I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.
—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) Irish Poet, Playwright