black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

And he that strives to touch the stars Oft stumbles at a straw.

Edmund Spenser

Through knowledge we behold the world’s creation, How in his cradle first he fostered was; And judge of Nature’s cunning operation, How things she formed of a formless mass.
EDMUND SPENSER

Creation Form Herself Judgement Knowledge Nature Operation World
All sorts of flowers the which on earth do spring In goodly colours gloriously arrayed; Go to my love, where she is careless laid.
EDMUND SPENSER

Color Earth Flower Glory Goodness Herself Love Spring
Discord oft in music makes the sweeter lay.
EDMUND SPENSER

Music Sweet
Joy may you have and gentle hearts content Of your loves couplement: And let faire Venus, that is Queene of love, With her heart-quelling Sonne upon you smile
EDMUND SPENSER

Content Heart Love Queen Smile Yourself
The gentle minde by gentle deeds is knowne.
EDMUND SPENSER

Action Gentle Mindset
A circle cannot fill a triangle, so neither can the whole world, if it were to be compassed, the heart of man; a man may as easily fill a chest with grace as the heart with gold. The air fills not the body, neither doth money the covetous mind of man.
EDMUND SPENSER

Body Easy Gold Heart Man Mindset World
Yet is there one more cursed than they all, That canker-worm, that monster, jealousie, Which eats the heart and feeds upon the gall, Turning all love’s delight to misery, Through fear of losing his felicity.
EDMUND SPENSER

Curse Feed Happiness Heart Jealous Lose Misery
But times do change and move continually.
EDMUND SPENSER

Change Move Time
I was promised on a time To have reason for my rhyme; From that time unto this season, I received nor rhyme nor reason.
EDMUND SPENSER

Myself Promise Reason Season Time
Sluggish idleness–the nurse of sin.
EDMUND SPENSER

Freedom Sin Wasted Time
For we by conquest, of our soveraine might,And by eternall doome of Fate’s decree,Have wonne the Empire of the Heavens bright.
EDMUND SPENSER

Bright Eternity Fate Forever Heaven Ourselves
But angels come to lead frail minds to rest in chaste desires, on heavenly beauty bound. You frame my thoughts, and fashion me within; you stop my tongue, and teach my heart to speak.
EDMUND SPENSER

Angel Desire Fashion Heart Leadership Stop Talk Teaching
Death is an equall doome To good and bad, the common In of rest.
EDMUND SPENSER

Bad Death Equality Goodness Rest
My Love is like to ice, and I to fire: How comes it then that this her cold so great Is not dissolved through my so hot desire, But harder grows the more I her entreat?
EDMUND SPENSER

Cold Desire Fire Greatness Growth Hard Love Myself
Those that were up themselves, kept others low; Those that were low themselves, held others hard; He suffered them to ryse or greater grow; But every one did strive his fellow down to throw.
EDMUND SPENSER

Greatness Growth Hard Hold Low Oneself Suffering
The gentle mind by gentle deeds is known, For a man by nothing is so well betrayed As by his manners.
EDMUND SPENSER

Betrayal Man Manner Mindset

And he that strives to touch the stars Oft stumbles at a straw.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

And he that strives to touch the stars Oft stumbles at a straw.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Edmund Spenser Quotes