Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was a renowned American poet and educator whose works have inspired and captivated audiences for generations. With a prolific career spanning over five decades, Longfellow is best known for his lyrical poems that explore the themes of love, nature, faith, and history. His timeless words and quotes continue to resonate with readers, making Henry Wadsworth Longfellow one of the most beloved poets in American literary history.
Today, we’ve gathered the 41 best quotes from Longfellow’s extensive body of work. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, comfort, or simply a moment of reflection, these quotes offer a glimpse into the poetic genius of Longfellow and the profound insights he has to offer. So, sit back, relax, and let the words of this literary master guide you on your journey of self-discovery and enrichment.
I hope you enjoy these quotes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow…
1) “A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years mere study of books.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
2) “For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress, And as the evening twilight fades away The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
3) “And the night shall be filled with music, And the cares, that infest the day, Shall fold their tents like the Arabs, and silently steal away.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
4) “Art is the child of nature in whom we trace the features of the mothers face.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
5) “Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fall” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ballads and Other Poems
- Michigan Historical Reprint Series (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 298 Pages – 03/31/2006 (Publication Date) – Scholarly Publishing Office, University of Michigan Library (Publisher)
6) “Behind the clouds is the sun still shining.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
7) “The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
8) “The day is done, and the darkness Falls from the wings of Night, As a feather is wafted downward From an eagle in his flight.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
9) “Defeat may be victory in disguise.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Everyone could use a smile…
10) “Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
11) “Everyone says that forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
12) “For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
13) “Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
14) “The great tragedy of the average man is that he goes to his grave with his music still in him.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
15) “I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, And wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men!” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
16) “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
17) “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
18) “I do not believe anyone can be perfectly well, who has a brain and a heart” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
19) “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Complete Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Hardcover Book
- Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 362 Pages – 10/27/2022 (Publication Date) – Legare Street Press (Publisher)
Quotes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
20) “In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
21) “Into each life some rain must fall.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
22) “There is a Reaper, whose name is Death, And, with his sickle keen, He reaps the bearded grain at a breath, And the flowers that grow between.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
23) “It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
24) “Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine, Kind words, and Kind deeds.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
25) “In the life of every man there are sudden transitions of feeling, which seem almost miraculous. At once, as if some magician had touched the heavens and the earth, the dark clouds melt into the air, the wind falls, and serenity succeeds the storm. The causes which produce these changes may have been long at work within us, but the changes themselves are instantaneous, and apparently without sufficient cause.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
26) “The heart, like the mind, has a memory. And in it are kept the most precious keepsakes.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
27) “Lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
28) “Look not mournfully into the past, it comes not back again. Wisely improve the present, it is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future without fear and with a manly heart.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
29) “Love keeps the cold out better than a cloak.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Music is the universal language…
30) “Music is the universal language of mankind.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
31) “My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
32) “In old age our bodies are worn-out instruments, on which the soul tries in vain to play the melodies of youth. But because the instrument has lost its strings, or is out of tune, it does not follow that the musician has lost his skill.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
33) “Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
34) “Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie
- Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 74 Pages – 09/07/2010 (Publication Date) – Wildside Press (Publisher)
35) “So Nature deals with us, and takes away Our playthings one by one, and by the hand Leads us to rest.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
36) “Talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
37) “The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, And all the sweet serenity of books” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
38) “There is no grief like the grief that does not speak.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
39) “A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words bruise the heart of a child.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Quotes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
40) “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
41) “If you would hit the mark, you must aim a little above it; Every arrow that flies feels the attraction of earth.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Please share these quotes by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with your friends and family.
Last update on 2024-04-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
