Reading quotes from famous people can entertain or amuse us, it can inspire us to emulate them, or it can enliven our curiosity about these folks and encourage us to dig deeper into their histories, uncovering untold riches.
The most famous quotes are powerful, but they also are simple and direct, and that directness is part of their enduring fascination. The following quotes—from poems, essays, plays, and speeches—have survived for years, and in some cases for centuries, because they have struck a chord in many people.
01 of 10
William Wordsworth
Culture Club / Getty Images
English Romantic poet (1770-1850) from his poem “The Excursion”:
“The good die first,And they whose hearts are dry as summer dustBurn to the socket.”
02 of 10
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Bettmann / Contributor/Getty Images
American essayist and poet (1803-1882) from his essay “Society and Solitude”:
“Hitch your wagon to a star.”
03 of 10
John Keats
Wikimedia Commons
English Romantic poet (1795-1821) from his poem “Endymion”:
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness.”
04 of 10
Alexander Pope
Wikimedia Commons
English poet (1688-1744) from his poem “An Essay on Criticism”:
“Good nature and good sense must ever join;To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
05 of 10
Socrates
Rex_Wholster / Getty Images
Greek philosopher (470 B.C.-399 B.C.) from a speech:
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
06 of 10
Benjamin Franklin
WaffOzzy/Getty Images
American statesman and author (1706-1790) from his “Poor Richard’s Almanack”:
“God helps those that help themselves.”
07 of 10
Robert Frost
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
American poet (1874-1963) from his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.”
08 of 10
Rudyard Kipling
Evening Standard / Stringer
English poet and writer (1865-1936) from his poem “The Ballad of East and West”:
“Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat.”
09 of 10
Abraham Lincoln
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
American president (1809-1865) from a speech (time and place debated):
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
10 of 10
William Shakespeare
jessekarjalainen / Getty Images
English playwright (1564-1616) from Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet.”
Reading quotes from famous people can entertain or amuse us, it can inspire us to emulate them, or it can enliven our curiosity about these folks and encourage us to dig deeper into their histories, uncovering untold riches.
The most famous quotes are powerful, but they also are simple and direct, and that directness is part of their enduring fascination. The following quotes—from poems, essays, plays, and speeches—have survived for years, and in some cases for centuries, because they have struck a chord in many people.
01 of 10
William Wordsworth
Culture Club / Getty Images
English Romantic poet (1770-1850) from his poem “The Excursion”:
“The good die first,And they whose hearts are dry as summer dustBurn to the socket.”
02 of 10
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Bettmann / Contributor/Getty Images
American essayist and poet (1803-1882) from his essay “Society and Solitude”:
“Hitch your wagon to a star.”
03 of 10
John Keats
Wikimedia Commons
English Romantic poet (1795-1821) from his poem “Endymion”:
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness.”
04 of 10
Alexander Pope
Wikimedia Commons
English poet (1688-1744) from his poem “An Essay on Criticism”:
“Good nature and good sense must ever join;To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
05 of 10
Socrates
Rex_Wholster / Getty Images
Greek philosopher (470 B.C.-399 B.C.) from a speech:
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
06 of 10
Benjamin Franklin
WaffOzzy/Getty Images
American statesman and author (1706-1790) from his “Poor Richard’s Almanack”:
“God helps those that help themselves.”
07 of 10
Robert Frost
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
American poet (1874-1963) from his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.”
08 of 10
Rudyard Kipling
Evening Standard / Stringer
English poet and writer (1865-1936) from his poem “The Ballad of East and West”:
“Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat.”
09 of 10
Abraham Lincoln
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
American president (1809-1865) from a speech (time and place debated):
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
10 of 10
William Shakespeare
jessekarjalainen / Getty Images
English playwright (1564-1616) from Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet.”
Reading quotes from famous people can entertain or amuse us, it can inspire us to emulate them, or it can enliven our curiosity about these folks and encourage us to dig deeper into their histories, uncovering untold riches.
The most famous quotes are powerful, but they also are simple and direct, and that directness is part of their enduring fascination. The following quotes—from poems, essays, plays, and speeches—have survived for years, and in some cases for centuries, because they have struck a chord in many people.
01 of 10
William Wordsworth
Culture Club / Getty Images
English Romantic poet (1770-1850) from his poem “The Excursion”:
“The good die first,And they whose hearts are dry as summer dustBurn to the socket.”
02 of 10
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Bettmann / Contributor/Getty Images
American essayist and poet (1803-1882) from his essay “Society and Solitude”:
“Hitch your wagon to a star.”
03 of 10
John Keats
Wikimedia Commons
English Romantic poet (1795-1821) from his poem “Endymion”:
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness.”
04 of 10
Alexander Pope
Wikimedia Commons
English poet (1688-1744) from his poem “An Essay on Criticism”:
“Good nature and good sense must ever join;To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
05 of 10
Socrates
Rex_Wholster / Getty Images
Greek philosopher (470 B.C.-399 B.C.) from a speech:
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
06 of 10
Benjamin Franklin
WaffOzzy/Getty Images
American statesman and author (1706-1790) from his “Poor Richard’s Almanack”:
“God helps those that help themselves.”
07 of 10
Robert Frost
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
American poet (1874-1963) from his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.”
08 of 10
Rudyard Kipling
Evening Standard / Stringer
English poet and writer (1865-1936) from his poem “The Ballad of East and West”:
“Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat.”
09 of 10
Abraham Lincoln
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
American president (1809-1865) from a speech (time and place debated):
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
10 of 10
William Shakespeare
jessekarjalainen / Getty Images
English playwright (1564-1616) from Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet.”
Reading quotes from famous people can entertain or amuse us, it can inspire us to emulate them, or it can enliven our curiosity about these folks and encourage us to dig deeper into their histories, uncovering untold riches.
The most famous quotes are powerful, but they also are simple and direct, and that directness is part of their enduring fascination. The following quotes—from poems, essays, plays, and speeches—have survived for years, and in some cases for centuries, because they have struck a chord in many people.
01 of 10
William Wordsworth
Culture Club / Getty Images
English Romantic poet (1770-1850) from his poem “The Excursion”:
“The good die first,And they whose hearts are dry as summer dustBurn to the socket.”
02 of 10
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Bettmann / Contributor/Getty Images
American essayist and poet (1803-1882) from his essay “Society and Solitude”:
“Hitch your wagon to a star.”
03 of 10
John Keats
Wikimedia Commons
English Romantic poet (1795-1821) from his poem “Endymion”:
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness.”
04 of 10
Alexander Pope
Wikimedia Commons
English poet (1688-1744) from his poem “An Essay on Criticism”:
“Good nature and good sense must ever join;To err is human; to forgive, divine.”
05 of 10
Socrates
Rex_Wholster / Getty Images
Greek philosopher (470 B.C.-399 B.C.) from a speech:
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
06 of 10
Benjamin Franklin
WaffOzzy/Getty Images
American statesman and author (1706-1790) from his “Poor Richard’s Almanack”:
“God helps those that help themselves.”
07 of 10
Robert Frost
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
American poet (1874-1963) from his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference.”
08 of 10
Rudyard Kipling
Evening Standard / Stringer
English poet and writer (1865-1936) from his poem “The Ballad of East and West”:
“Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat.”
09 of 10
Abraham Lincoln
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
American president (1809-1865) from a speech (time and place debated):
“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
10 of 10
William Shakespeare
jessekarjalainen / Getty Images
English playwright (1564-1616) from Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet.”
01 of 10
William Wordsworth
English Romantic poet (1770-1850) from his poem “The Excursion”:
01 of 10
01
of 10
02 of 10
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American essayist and poet (1803-1882) from his essay “Society and Solitude”:
02 of 10
02
03 of 10
John Keats
English Romantic poet (1795-1821) from his poem “Endymion”:
03 of 10
03
04 of 10
Alexander Pope
English poet (1688-1744) from his poem “An Essay on Criticism”:
04 of 10
04
05 of 10
Socrates
Greek philosopher (470 B.C.-399 B.C.) from a speech:
05 of 10
05
06 of 10
Benjamin Franklin
American statesman and author (1706-1790) from his “Poor Richard’s Almanack”:
06 of 10
06
07 of 10
Robert Frost
American poet (1874-1963) from his poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”:
07 of 10
07
08 of 10
Rudyard Kipling
English poet and writer (1865-1936) from his poem “The Ballad of East and West”:
08 of 10
08
09 of 10
Abraham Lincoln
American president (1809-1865) from a speech (time and place debated):
09 of 10
09
10 of 10
William Shakespeare
English playwright (1564-1616) from Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”:
10 of 10
10
