Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

John Masefield

English Poet

"The days that make us happy make us wise."

"Life to have its sweets must have its sours.. Love isn't always two souls picking flowers."

"Best trust the happy moments. What they gave makes man less fearful of that certain grave and gives his work compassion and new eyes, the days that make us happy make us wise."

"Death opens unknown doors. It is most grand to die."

"The truth and rapture of man are holy things, not lightly to be scorned. A carelessness of life an beauty mark the glutton, the idler, and the fool in their deadly path across history."

"Once in a century a man may be ruined or made insufferable by praise. But surely once a minute something generous dies for want of it."

"God warms his hands at man's heart when he prays."

"Skill's a joy to any man."

"Man with his burning soul has but an hour of breath to build a ship of Truth in which his soul may sail, sail on the sea of death; for death takes toll of beauty, courage, youth, of all but Truth."

"In this life he laughs longest who laughs last. "

"The distant soul can shake the distant friend's soul and make the longing felt, over untold miles."

"Life: a beauty chased by tragic laughter."