I saw that my witticism was unperceived and quietly replaced it in the treasury of my mind.

What you think is the point is not the point at all but only the beginning of the sharpness.

A wise old owl once lived in a wood, the more he heard the less he said, the less he said the more he heard, let's emulate that wise old bird.

The first beginnings of wisdom...is to ask questions but never to answer any.

When things go wrong and will not come right, Though you do the best you can, When life looks black as the hour of night, A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN.

The majority of the members of the Irish parliament are professional politicians, in the sense that otherwise they would not be given jobs minding mice at crossroads.

When money's tight and is hard to get And your horse has also ran, When all you have is a heap of debt A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN.

Rome wasn't built in A.D.

Your talk," I said, "is surely the handiwork of wisdom because not one word of it do I understand.

Another day gone and no jokes.

Descartes spent far too much time in bed subject to the persistent hallucination that he was thinking. You are not free from a similar disorder.

The wound can be healed by the word of God.

Living your life is a task so difficult it has never been attempted before.

If you're going to fall in love with anyone, fall in love with a writer. Allow yourself to become immortalised in words.

We don't talk about courage much in our everyday conversations, but I am comfortable with it now.

Never do anything complicated when something simple will serve as well. It's one of the most important secrets of living.

The central idea of poetry is the idea of guessing right, like a child.

Love not too well the work of thy hands and the devices of thy heart; and remember that the true hope of the Noldor lieth in the West, and cometh from the Sea.

He that counts all cost will never put plough in the earth.

Let the wave of memory, the storm of desire, the fire of emotion pass through without affecting your equanimity.

I'm an awfully loyal friend. Once I've started a relationship with someone, it's like they are syrup and I'm a pancake. Their syrup gets into my pancake, so to speak.