When the Divine Artist would produce a poem, He plants a germ of it in a human soul, and out of that soul the poem springs and grows as from the rose-tree the rose.—James A. Garfield.
He who, in an enlightened and literary society, aspires to be a great poet, must first become a little child.—Macaulay.
Poetry is the music of the soul, and, above all, of great and feeling souls.—Voltaire.
There is as much difference between good poetry and fine verses, as between the smell of a flower-garden and of a perfumer's shop.—Hare.
The world is full of poetry. The air is living with its spirit; and the waves dance to the music of its melodies, and sparkle in its brightness.—Percival.
You will find poetry nowhere unless you bring some with you.—Joubert.
Poetry is the robe, the royal apparel, in which truth asserts its divine origin.—Beecher.
The poet may say or sing, not as things were, but as they ought to have been; but the historian must pen them, not as they ought to have been, but as they really were.—Cervantes.
Politeness.—True politeness is perfect ease and freedom. It simply consists in treating others just as you love to be treated yourself.—Chesterfield.
Politeness has been defined to be artificial good-nature; but we may affirm, with much greater propriety, that good-nature is natural politeness.—Stanislaus.