Robert Herrick Quotes

Tears are the noble language of eyes, and when true love of words is destitute. The eye by tears speak, while the tongue is mute.

— Robert Herrick

“To the Virgins, To Make much of Time
Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.
The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he is to setting.
That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.
Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while you may, go marry;
For having lost but once your prime,
You may for ever tarry.”

— Robert Herrick

“Gather ye rose-buds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying;
And this same flower that smiles today,
Tomorrow will be dying.”

— Robert Herrick

Love is a circle that doth restless move
In the same sweet eternity of love.

— Robert Herrick

“A SWEET disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness :
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction :
An erring lace which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher :
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribbons to flow confusedly :
A winning wave (deserving note)
In the tempestuous petticoat :
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility :
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.”

— Robert Herrick

“Here we are all, by day; by night, we're hurled
By dreams, each one, into a several world.”

— Robert Herrick

“What is a kiss? Why this, as some approve: The sure, sweet cement, glue, and lime of love.”

— Robert Herrick

Conquer we shall, but, we must first contend! It's not the fight that crowns us, but the end.

— Robert Herrick

“In things a moderation keep; Kings ought to shear, not skin, their sheep.”

— Robert Herrick

“Each must in virtue strive for to excel; That man lives twice that lives the first life well.”

— Robert Herrick

Who covets more is evermore a slave.

— Robert Herrick

“Tears are the noble language of the eye.”

— Robert Herrick

“The person lives twice who lives the first life well.”

— Robert Herrick

“Attempt the end, and never stand to doubt. Nothing's so hard but search will find it out.”

— Robert Herrick

Thus times do shift, each thing his turn does hold; New things succeed, as former things grow old.

— Robert Herrick

“Humble we must be, if to heaven we go; High is the roof there, but the gate is low.”

— Robert Herrick

“It is the end that crowns us, not the fight.”

— Robert Herrick

“Next, when I cast mine eyes and see
That brave vibration each way free,
O how that glittering taketh me!”

— Robert Herrick

“When the tempter me pursueth
With the sins of all my youth,
And half damns me with untruth,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!”

— Robert Herrick

“Things are evermore sincere; / Candor here, and lustre there / Delighting.”

— Robert Herrick

In sober mornings do not thou rehearse
The holy incantation of a verse

— Robert Herrick

“But ne'er the rose without the thorn.”

— Robert Herrick

“Happy is the bride that the sun shines on.”

— Robert Herrick

“When the artless doctor sees
No one hope, but of his fees,
And his skill runs on the lees;
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!
When his potion and his pill,
Has, or none, or little skill,
Meet for nothing, but to kill;
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!”

— Robert Herrick

“Give, if thou can, an alms; if not, a sweet and gentle word.”

— Robert Herrick

“Let wealth come in by comely thrift,
And not by any sordid shift;
'T is haste
Makes waste;
Extremes have still their fault.
Who gripes too hard the dry and slipp'ry sand,
Holds none at all, or little, in his hand.”

— Robert Herrick

“Give house-room to the best; 'tis never known
Verture and pleasure both to dwell in one.”

— Robert Herrick

“The readiness of doing doth expresse No other but the doer's willingnesse.”

— Robert Herrick

“Love is maintain'd by wealth: when all is spent,
Adversity then breeds the discontent.”

— Robert Herrick

“Before man's fall the rose was born,St. Ambrose says, without the thorn;But for man's fault then was the thornWithout the fragrant rose-bud born; But ne'er the rose without the thorn.”

— Robert Herrick

“Bid me despair, and I'll despair,Under that cypress tree;Or bid me die, and I will dareE'en Death, to die for thee.”

— Robert Herrick

“When one is past, another care we have; Thus woe succeeds a woe, as wave a wave.”

— Robert Herrick

Buying, possessing, accumulating
this is not worldliness. But doing this in the love of it, with no love of God paramount
doing it so that thoughts of eternity and God are an intrusion
doing it so that one's spirit is secularized in the process; this is worldliness.

— Robert Herrick

“O thou, the drink of gods and angels! Wine”

— Robert Herrick

“Feed him ye must, whose food fills you.
And that this pleasure is like raine,
Not sent ye for to drowne your paine,
But for to make it spring againe.”

— Robert Herrick

“Rise and put on your foliage, and be seen
To come forth, like the springtime, fresh and green”

— Robert Herrick

“None pities him that is in the snare, who warned before, would not beware.”

— Robert Herrick

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun.

— Robert Herrick

Fight thou with shafts of silver, and o'ercome When no force else can get the masterdom

— Robert Herrick

“Here a little child I stand, Heaving up my either hand; Cold as paddocks though they be, Here I lift them up to Thee, for a benison to fall on our meat, and on us all. Amen.”

— Robert Herrick

“I dare not ask a kiss;
I dare not beg a smile;
Lest having that or this,
I might grow proud the while.
No, no, the utmost share
Of my desire shall be
Only to kiss that air,
That lately kissed thee.”

— Robert Herrick

“No, not Jove
Himselfe, at one time, can be wise and love.”

— Robert Herrick

“I'll write, because I'll give - You critics means to live; For should I not supply - The cause, the effect would die”

— Robert Herrick

Roses at first were white, Till thy co'd not agree, Whether my Sapho's breast, Or they more white sho'd be.

— Robert Herrick

“Her eyes the glowworm lend thee,
The shooting stars attend thee;
And the elves also,
Whose little eyes glow
Like the sparks of fire, befriend thee.”

— Robert Herrick

Necessity makes dastards valiant men.

— Robert Herrick

“Who after his transgression doth repent, Is halfe, or altogether, innocent.”

— Robert Herrick

Temptations hurt not, though they have accesse; Satan o'ercomes none but by willingnesse.

— Robert Herrick

“Hell is no other but a soundlesse pit, Where no one beame of comfort peeps in it.”

— Robert Herrick

“Well I sup and well I dine,
When I drink my frolic wine.”

— Robert Herrick