“For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago.”

—  William Wordsworth, The Solitary Reaper

The Solitary Reaper.
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update April 22, 2022. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "For old, unhappy, far-off things, And battles long ago." by William Wordsworth?
William Wordsworth photo
William Wordsworth306
English Romantic poet 1770–1850

Related quotes

Franklin D. Roosevelt photo

“Many causes produce war. There are ancient hatreds, turbulent frontiers, the "legacy of old forgotten, far-off things, and battles long ago." There are new-born fanaticisms. Convictions on the part of certain peoples that they have become the unique depositories of ultimate truth and right.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) 32nd President of the United States

1930s, Address at Chautauqua, New York (1936)

Napoleon I of France photo

“Unhappy the general who comes on the field of battle with a system.”

Napoleon I of France (1769–1821) French general, First Consul and later Emperor of the French

Napoleon : In His Own Words (1916)

Ray Bradbury photo

“You ask Why to a lot of things and you wind up very unhappy indeed, if you keep at it. The poor girl's better off dead”

Ray Bradbury book Fahrenheit 451

Source: Fahrenheit 451

Mitch Albom photo

“If you're always battling against getting older, you're always going to be unhappy, because it will happen anyhow.”

Mitch Albom Tuesdays with Morrie

Source: Tuesdays with Morrie

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe photo

“What wise or stupid thing can man conceive
That was not thought of in ages long ago?”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe book Faust

Act II, The Gothic Chamber
Faust, Part 2 (1832)

Philip Roth photo

“Old age isn't a battle; old age is a massacre.”

Philip Roth book Everyman

Source: Everyman (2006)

Graham Greene photo

“He gave her a bright fake smile; so much of life was a putting off of unhappiness for another time. Nothing was ever lost by delay. He had a dim idea that perhaps if one delayed long enough, things were taken out of one's hands altogether by death.”

Graham Greene book The Heart of the Matter

Source: The Heart of the Matter

Gilbert O'Sullivan photo

“The way things used to be
not so long ago
when we were young and free.
The way things used to be
not so long ago
you were loving me
every night and every day, strong in every way
passion glowing like a fire, burning with desire.
Whatever happened?”

Gilbert O'Sullivan (1946) Irish singer-songwriter

&quot;The Way Things Used To Be&quot; (song) <br class="br">Gilbert O&#x27;Sullivan, &quot;The Way Things Used To Be&quot; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq_p37g6xRU (song on YouTube) <br class="br">Song lyrics

Jon Stewart photo

“You have to remember one thing about the will of the people: it wasn't that long ago that we were swept away by the Macarena.”

Jon Stewart (1962) American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian

Related topics