The human heart has a sigh lonelier than the cry of the bittern.

The line of life is a ragged diagonal between duty and desire.

A blue eye is a true eye; Mysterious is a dark one, Which flashes like a spark sun! A black eye is the best one.

After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul's indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.

Proverbs are mental gems gathered in the diamond districts of the mind.

A sigh can shatter a castle in the air.

False eloquence is exaggeration; true eloquence is emphasis.

Public opinion is a second conscience.

Reserve may be pride fortified in ice; dignity is worth reposing on truth.

Fate is the friend of the good, the guide of the wise, the tyrant of the foolish, the enemy of the bad.

What is the highest secret to victory and peace? To will what God wills, and strike a league with destiny.

Stress does not come from problems. It originates from fear which comes from the anticipation of problems.

I hate change more than almost anything.

At the end of our lives, every moment is so priceless.

When he smiles, they mostly look away. But Martin likes to think they carry his smile for a few blocks – that even the smallest gesture is something grand.

My mom just didn't put a very high premium on me being like really famous or really wealthy or anything.

158 Lewis Avenue between Lafayette and Van Buren, that was back durin days of hangin' on my bed-stuy block

I have a bold plan to break from the Bloomberg years, and end the 'Tale of Two Cities' by providing real opportunity to all New Yorkers, no matter where they live.

I'm not sure any narrative model has been more important for me than Benjamin Britten's chamber operas.

A man's life is colored by the dye of his imagination.

That adage about genius being 5 percent inspiration and 95 perspiration - it's true.