The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.
—George Santayana (1863–1952) Spanish-American Poet, Philosopher
Past mistakes cannot create a present pain; no mistake in life has the power to make us ache any more than the echo of someone crying can shed tears.
—Guy Finley
If you wish me to weep, you must first show grief yourself.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
The tear of joy is a pearl of the first water; the mourning tear, only of the second.
—Jean Paul (1763–1825) German Novelist, Philosopher
Tears, idle tears, I know not what they mean,—tears from the depth of some divine despair rise in the heart and gather in the eyes, in looking on the happy autumn fields, and thinking of days that are no more.
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–92) British Poet
All the rarest hues of human life take radiance and are rainbowed out in tears.
—Gerald Massey (1828–1907) English Mystic, Poet, Egyptologist
Waste not fresh tears over old griefs.
—Euripides (480–406 BCE) Ancient Greek Dramatist
Tears shed for self are tears of weakness, but tears shed for others are a sign of strength.
—Billy Graham (1918–91) American Baptist Religious Leader
Tears are the natural penalties of pleasure. It is a law that we should pay for all that we enjoy.
—William Gilmore Simms (1806–70) American Poet, Historian, Novelist, Editor
Many shed tears merely for show, and have dry eyes when no one’s around to observe them.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
Tears are the symbol of the inability of the soul to restrain its emotion and retain its self command.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
Heaven and God are best discerned through tears; scarcely perhaps are discerned at all without them. The constant association of prayer with the hour of bereavement and the scenes of death suffice to show this.
—James Martineau (1805–1900) English Philosopher, Religious Leader
My tears must stop, for every drop Hinders needle and thread.
—Thomas Hood (1799–1845) English Poet, Humorist
I laugh because I must not cry. That is all. That is all.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
A tear dries quickly when it is shed for troubles of others.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
A smile is ever the most bright and beautiful with a tear upon it.—What is the dawn without its dew?—The tear, by the smile, is made precious above the smile itself.
—Walter Savage Landor (1775–1864) English Writer, Poet
I would hardly change the sorrowful words of the poets for their glad ones.—Tears dampen the strings of the lyre, but they grow the more tender for it, and ring even the clearer and more ravishingly for it.
—James Russell Lowell (1819–91) American Poet, Critic
Scorn the proud man that is ashamed to weep.
—Edward Young (1683–1765) English Poet
Tearless grief bleeds inwardly.
—Christian Nestell Bovee (1820–1904) American Writer, Aphorist
Some tears belong to us because we are unfortunate: others because we are humane: many because we are mortal.—But most are caused by our being unwise.—It is these last, only, that of necessity produce more.
—Leigh Hunt (1784–1859) British Poet, Essayist, Journalist
What would women do if they could not cry?—What poor, defenceless creatures they would be.
—Douglas William Jerrold (1803–57) English Writer, Dramatist, Wit
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.
—Washington Irving (1783–1859) American Essayist, Biographer, Historian
Tears are the softening showers which cause the seed of heaven to spring up in the human heart.
—Walter Scott (1771–1832) Scottish Novelist, Poet, Playwright, Lawyer
That long drip of human tears.
—Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) English Novelist, Poet
Tears are the silent language of grief.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
What a hell of witchcraft lies in the small orb of one particular tear!
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears.
—John Vance Cheney (1848–1922) American Poet, Essayist, Librarian
The tears fall, they’re so easy to wipe off onto my sleeve, but how do I erase the stain from my heart?
—Indian Proverb
Tears of joy are like the summer rain drops pierced by sunbeams.
—Hosea Ballou (1771–1852) American Theologian
My plenteous joys, wanton in fullness, seek to hide themselves in drops of sorrow.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
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