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I can recall an homage in a Cleveland newspaper to an abstract modern painter I once knew who embraced a Jackson Pollock-like style. His obituary featured a quotation from 18th-century English poet Alexander Pope that seemed reflective of his life’s work.
“Not chaos-like together crushed and bruised, But, as the world, harmoniously confused: Where order in variety we see, and where, though all things differ, all agree.”
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The quotation comes from the 1713 piece, "Windsor Forest," which describes Pope’s interpretation of hills, vales, earth and water.
While this lovely sentiment is not mainstream today, you may recognize a more famous Pope quotation from the 1711 work, "An Essay on Criticism.” The text reads: “To err is human. To forgive divine."
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So, please forgive me for starting this article with a bit of poetry, but we often find ourselves nodding along when we read or hear familiar quotations and sayings. It’s because they resonate truth. History’s literary giants have found common ground in the sentiments of generations of hearts and minds.
Some of the most enduring prose is packed with insights about the human condition. William Shakespeare, the renowned English playwright and poet, achieved commercial success because his words revealed a deep understanding of society’s relationship with the all-powerful monarchy of his time. For better or for worse, his messages have remained true for over four centuries.
Here are some of his many famous sayings that are still true today:
- "All that glitters is not gold." — The Merchant of Venice (Late 1590s)
- "The course of true love never did run smooth." — A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595-1596)
- "The better part of valor is discretion." — Henry IV, Part 1 (1596)
- "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." — As You Like It (1599-1600)
- "Brevity is the soul of wit." — Hamlet (1599-1601)
- "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." — All's Well That Ends Well (1604-1605)
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