Explore Quotes by Philip Sidney

Poesy must not be drawn by the ears: it must be gently led, or rather, it must lead, which was partly the cause that made the ancient learned affirm it was a divine, and no human skill, since all other knowledges lie ready for any that have strength of wit; a poet no industry can make, if his own genius be not carried into it.

Plato found fault that the poets of his time filled the world with wrong opinions of the gods, making light tales of that unspotted essence, and therefore would not have the youth depraved with such opinions.

The poet nothing affirmeth and therefore never lieth.

Indeed, the Roman laws allowed no person to be carried to the wars but he that was in the soldiers' roll.

For conclusion, I say the philosopher teacheth, but he teacheth obscurely, so as the learned only can understand him; that is to say, he teacheth them that are already taught.

If you have so earth-creeping a mind that it cannot lift itself up to look to the sky of poetry... thus much curse I must send you, in the behalf of all poets, that while you live, you live in love, and never get favour for lacking skill of a sonnet; and, when you die, your memory die from the earth for want of an epitaph.

Music, I say, the most divine striker of the senses.

Fool," said my muse to me. "Look in thy heart and write.

It is the nature of the strong heart, that like the palm tree it strives ever upwards when it is most burdened.

A true knight is fuller of bravery in the midst, than in the beginning of danger.

Happiness is a sunbeam, which may pass though a thousand bosoms without losing a particle of its original ray.

It is hard, but it is excellent, to find the right knowledge of when correction is necessary and when grace doth most avail.

Who will adhere to him that abandons himself?

No decking sets forth anything so much as affection.

Ring out your bells! Let mourning show be spread! For Love is dead.

With a tale, forsooth, he cometh unto you; with a tale which holdeth children from play, and old men from the chimney corner.

The best legacy I can leave my children is free speech, and the example of using it.

Our erected wit maketh us to know what perfection is.

So, then, the best of the historian is subject to the poet; for whatsoever action or faction, whatsoever counsel, policy, or war-stratagem the historian is bound to recite, that may the poet, if he list, with his imitation make his own, beautifying it both for further teaching and more delighting, as it pleaseth him; having all, from Dante’s Heaven to his Hell, under the authority of his pen.

Anger, the Stoics said, was a short madness.

In forming a judgment, lay your hearts void of foretaken opinions; else, whatsoever is done or said, will be measured by a wrong rule; like them who have jaundice, to whom everything appears yellow.