“The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave,
Await alike the inevitable hour:
The paths of glory lead but to the grave.”

—  Thomas Gray

St. 9
Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard http://www.thomasgray.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?text=elcc (written 1750, publ. 1751)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The boast of heraldry, the pomp of pow'r, And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, Await alike the inevitable …" by Thomas Gray?
Thomas Gray photo
Thomas Gray 81
English poet, historian 1716–1771

Related quotes

Thomas Gray photo

“The paths of glory lead but to the grave.”

Thomas Gray (1716–1771) English poet, historian

Source: An Elegy Written In A Country Churchyard

Leonard Cohen photo

“And if one is to express the great inevitable defeat that awaits us all, it must be done within the strict confines of dignity and beauty.”

Leonard Cohen (1934–2016) Canadian poet and singer-songwriter

As quoted in "2011's Prince of Asturias Prize for Letters" http://www.fpa.es/en/awards/2011/leonard-cohen-1/speech/

Jean De La Fontaine photo

“No path of flowers leads to glory.”

Jean De La Fontaine (1621–1695) French poet, fabulist and writer.

Book X, fable 14; reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).
Fables (1668–1679)

John Hoole photo

“Not beauty, wealth, or lineage e'er could raise
A woman's name (he said) to height of praise,
If not in action chaste.”

John Hoole (1727–1803) British translator

Book XLIII, line 628
Translations, Orlando Furioso of Ludovico Ariosto (1773)

Alfred, Lord Tennyson photo

“Yea, let all good things await
Him who cares not to be great
But as he saves or serves the state.
Not once or twice in our rough island-story
The path of duty was the way to glory.”

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) British poet laureate

Source: Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington (1852), St. VIII
Context: Yea, let all good things await
Him who cares not to be great
But as he saves or serves the state.
Not once or twice in our rough island-story
The path of duty was the way to glory.
He that walks it, only thirsting
For the right, and learns to deaden
Love of self, before his journey closes,
He shall find the stubborn thistle bursting
Into glossy purples, which outredden
All voluptuous garden-roses.

Joseph Addison photo

“Every star, and every pow'r,
Look down on this important hour”

Joseph Addison (1672–1719) politician, writer and playwright

Queen Elinor in Rosamond (c. 1707), Act III, sc. ii.
Context: Every star, and every pow'r,
Look down on this important hour:
Lend your protection and defence
Every guard of innocence!
Help me my Henry to assuage,
To gain his love or bear his rage.
Mysterious love, uncertain treasure,
Hast thou more of pain or pleasure!
Chill'd with tears,
Kill'd with fears,
Endless torments dwell about thee:
Yet who would live, and live without thee!

Francesco Dall'Ongaro photo

“All roads alike may lead us unto Rome.”

Francesco Dall'Ongaro (1808–1873) Italian poet, playwright and librettist

Tutte le vie ponno condurre a Roma.
Stornelli Politici, "Giammai".
Translation reported in Harbottle's Dictionary of quotations French and Italian (1904), p. 242.

“Set out from any point. They are all alike. They all lead to a point of departure.”

Antonio Porchia (1885–1968) Italian Argentinian poet

Pártase de cualquier punto. Todos son iguales. Todos llevan a un punto de partida.
Voces (1943)

Thomas Moore photo

“As half in shade and half in sun
This world along its path advances,
May that side the sun's upon
Be all that e'er shall meet thy glances!”

Thomas Moore (1779–1852) Irish poet, singer and songwriter

Peace be around Thee.
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)

Related topics