Quotes from workNight-Thoughts
The Complaint: or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality, better known simply as Night-Thoughts, is a long poem by Edward Young published in nine parts between 1742 and 1745.
“Thoughts shut up want air,
And spoil, like bales unopen’d to the sun.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night II, Line 466.
“To frown at pleasure, and to smile in pain.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night VIII, Line 1045.
“Final Ruin fiercely drives
Her plowshare o'er creation.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night IX, Line 167. Compare Robert Burns, To a Mountain Daisy: "Stern Ruin's ploughshare drives elate / Full on thy bloom".
“On reason build resolve,
that column of true majesty in man.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night I, Line 30.
“Time flies, death urges, knells call, Heaven invites,
Hell threatens.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night II, Line 292.
“Men may live fools, but fools they cannot die.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night IV, Line 843.
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night II, Line 633.
“Woes cluster. Rare are solitary woes;
They love a train, they tread each other’s heel.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night III, Line 63.
“Whose yesterdays look backwards with a smile.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night II, Line 334.
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night V, Line 717.
“Less base the fear of death than fear of life.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night V, Line 441.
“The knell, the shroud, the mattock, and the grave,
The deep damp vault, the darkness and the worm.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night IV, Line 10.
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night III, Line 104.
“Early, bright, transient, chaste as morning dew,
She sparkled, was exhal'd and went to heaven.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night V, Line 600.
“"I've lost a day!"—the prince who nobly cried,
Had been an emperor without his crown.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night II, Line 99. Suetonius says of the Emperor Titus: "Once at supper, reflecting that he had done nothing for any that day, he broke out into that memorable and justly admired saying, ‘My friends, I have lost a day!'" Suetonius, Lives of the Twelve Cæsars (translation by Alexander Thomson).
“Beautiful as sweet!
And young as beautiful! and soft as young!
And gay as soft! and innocent as gay.”
Source: Night-Thoughts (1742–1745), Night III, Line 81.
