Only by the candle, held in the skeleton hand of Poverty, can man read his own dark heart.

How many of us have been attracted to reason; first learned to think, to draw conclusions, to extract a moral from the follies of life, by some dazzling aphorism.

The conscience is the most flexible material in the world. Today you cannot stretch it over a mole hill; while tomorrow it can hide a mountain.

He who writes prose builds his temple to Fame in rubble; he who writes verses builds it in granite.

Genius is but fine observation strengthened by fixity of purpose.

Men are valued, not for what they are, but for what they seem to be.

A fresh mind keeps the body fresh. Take in the ideas of the day, drain off those of yesterday.

A good cigar is as great a comfort to a man as a good cry to a woman.

Punctuality is the stern virtue of men of business, and the graceful courtesy of princes.

Love has no thought of self! Love buys not with the ruthless usurer's gold The loathsome prostitution of a hand Without a heart! Love sacrifices all things To bless the thing it loves!

A fresh mind keeps the body fresh.

Responsibility and respect of others and their religious beliefs are also part of freedom.

Life is a difficult game. You can win it only by retaining your birthright to be a person.

And bear about the mockery of woe To midnight dances and the public show.

But the God I don't believe in is a good God, a just God, a merciful God. He's not the mean and stupid God you make him out to be.

For me popular violence is as much an obstruction in our path as the Government violence.

[On George H.W. Bush vs. Michael Dukakis:] Americans now know they can vote for a man who can't express his thoughts or a man who can't express his feelings.

If you need to invoke your academic pedigree or job title for people to believe what you say, then you need a better argument.

The printed page was like wine to me.

Keep everybody guessing as to what your next trick is going to be. Don't become too predictable.

My father was interested in bringing reggae music to the entire world.