James Lowell

Dear common flower, that grow'st beside the way, Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold.

Compromise makes a good umbrella, but a poor roof; it is a temporary expedient, often wise in party politics, almost sure to be unwise in statesmanship.

What a sense of security in an old book which Time has criticised for us!

A wise skepticism is the first attribute of a good critic.

In all literary history there is no such figure as Dante, no such homogeneousness of life and works, such loyalty to ideas, such sublime irrecognition of the unessential.

Wut 's words to them whose faith an' truth On war's red techstone rang true metal; Who ventered life an' love an' youth For the gret prize o' death in battle?

. . . It was in masking education not only common to all, but in some sense compulsory on all, that the destiny of the free republics of America was practically settled.

It was in making education not only common to all, but in some sense compulsory on all, that the destiny of the free republics of America was practically settled.