Quotes from Don Marquis

A pessimist is a person who has to listen to too many optimists.

Man cannot be uplifted he must be seduced into virtue.

Pity the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.

Successful people are the ones who think up things for the rest of the world to keep busy at.

When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: 'Whose?

When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: 'Whose?

Publishing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.

From 'the lesson of the moth': and before i could argue him out of his philosophy he went and immolated himself on a patent cigar lighter i do not agree with him myself i would rather have half the happiness and twice the longevity but at the same time i wish there was something i wanted as badly as he wanted to fry himself

A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.

Our is a world where people don't know what they want and are willing to go through hell to get it.

If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that's read by persons who move their lips when they're reading to themselves.

Nearly every night before I go to bed I ask myself, "Have I vibrated in tune with the Infinite today, or have I failed?

An idea isn't responsible for the people who believe it.

The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race.

fire is beautiful and we know that if we get too close it will kill us but what does that matter it is better to be happy for a moment and be burned up with beauty than to live a long time and be bored all the while

it is better to be a part of beauty for one instant and then cease to exist than to exist forever and never be a part of beauty

Life is one damned kitten after another." Mehitabel the Alley Cat

The female of all species are most dangerous when they appear to retreat.

An idea isn't responsible for the people who believe in it.

I never think at all when I write nobody can do two things at the same time and do them both well

personally my ambition is to get my time as a cockroach shortened for good behavior and be promoted to a revenue officer it is not much of a step up but i am humble

i look back on my life and it seems to me to be just one damned kitten after another

i have had my ups and downs but wotthehell wotthehell yesterday sceptres and crowns fried oysters and velvet gowns and today i herd with bums but wotthehell wotthehell i wake the world from sleep as i caper and sing and leap when i sing my wild free tune wotthehell wotthehell under the blear eyed moon i am pelted with cast off shoon but wotthehell wotthehell