Lethe Quotes

1. "Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean; the world has grown grey from thy breath;/ We have drunken of things Lethean, and fed on the fullness of death"
Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne

2. "Not under foreign skiesNor under foreign wings protected -I shared all this with my own peopleThere, where misfortune had abandoned us."
Author: Anna Akhmatova

3. "Mindig észben kell tartanunk az emberiség legfontosabb vezérfonalát: LÉGY UDVARIAS. Az UDVARIASSÁG valószínuleg a legtöbb, amivel minden egyes nap hozzájárulhatunk a földi élethez."
Author: Caitlin Moran

4. "It is so dark now with the sadness ofpeoplethey were tricked, they were taught to expect theultimate when nothing ispromisednow young girls weep alone in small roomsold men angrily swing their canes atvisions asladies comb their hair asants search for survivalhistory surrounds usand our livesslink awayinshame."
Author: Charles Bukowski

5. "Few of us can hold on to our real selves long enough to discover the momentous truths about ourselves and this whirling earth to which we cling. This is especially true of men [and women] in war. The great god Mars tries to blind us when we enter his realm, and when we leave he gives us a generous cup of the waters of Lethe to drink." -- J. Glenn Gray, "The Warriors: Reflections of Men in Battle"
Author: Chris Hedges

6. "You're a big boy, No. You'll figure something out. Just make sure it includes the groveling." -AbbyIt come to all of us. Especially those of us foolish enough to fall in love with women who have minds of their own. If you will recall, your own sister had a few things she had to forgive me for before we could move on with our relationship." -RuleThere's a big difference between a little kidnapping and what he did." -Abby"You did not call it a 'little' anything at the time, sweet. You were furious with me. Believe me, the groveling does do wonders." -Rule"
Author: Christine Warren

7. "The answer is to just let gothe betrayal is to the pastthe cocoon dangles emptythe desire outlasts the objectthe effort lingersthe frustration is in how pointless the effort wasthe ghost does not make itself transparentthe heart knows nothing except its own mindthe ideas are not enoughthe jealousy is always therethe killing blow is sometimes the softestthe life you lead can be detouredthe moment you know cannot be taken backthe new you will try to bury the old methe opportunity has passedthe past is inopportunethe questions all grow from whythe reality will always be contendedthe sadness will ebbthe trouble is the time it might takethe ugly words cannot be erased, only discreditedthe versions are never the samethe wonder is that we make it throughthe x is the unknown variablethe yesterday cannot be repeatedthe zenith is the point when you look down and realize you're no longer below"
Author: David Levithan

8. "You come back here, you good-for-nothing! Come help me drag these ailing bones." The old man flees toward the Lethe as fast as his rickety legs will carry him. Like an army scouring the countryside, she surges in his wake, flattening grasses and bushes as she goes. The gap narrows. "Don't you recognize me?" she hollers. "It's me, your sweetie pie!"
Author: Emily Whitman

9. "Even people whose lives have been made various by learning sometimes find it hard to keep a fast hold on their habitual views of life, on their faith in the Invisible - nay, on the sense that their past joys and sorrows are a real experience, when they are suddenly transported to a new land, where the beings around them know nothing of their history, and share none of their ideas - where their mother earth shows another lap, and human life has other forms than those on which their souls have been nourished. Minds that have been unhinged from their old faith and love have perhaps sought this Lethean influence of exile in which the past becomes dreamy because its symbols have all vanished, and the present too is dreamy because it is linked with no memories."
Author: George Eliot

10. "Remember thee! remember thee! Till Lethe quench life's burning stream Remorse and shame shall cling to thee, And haunt thee like a feverish dream! Remember thee! Aye, doubt it not. Thy husband too shall think of thee: By neither shalt thou be forgot, Thou false to him, thou fiend to me!"
Author: George Gordon Byron

11. "A human lifeIs the time that happenswhileThe Earth takes a breakFor you to livebetweenInhaling and exhaling your soulfrom the un-endless spaceNamed infinity"
Author: Haidji

12. "Az elso gondolatot mindig egy második követi, egyik rejtély szüli a másikat: vajon ugyanannyira élo-e mindenki más, mint o maga? A novére például számít-e önmagának, ugyanolyan fontos-e önmaga számára, mint Briony? Ceciliának lenni, az vajon ugyanolyan élettol pezsgo állapot-e, mint Brionynak lenni? Van-e novérének is hullámtörés mögé rejtett titkos, igazi énje, és tölt-e vele idot, gondolkozik-e rajta, arca elé tartva egyik kinyújtott ujját? Van-e mindenkinek, apját, Bettyt, Hardmant is beleértve? Ha igen, akkor a világ, a társadalmi világ elviselhetetlenül bonyolult, kétmilliárd hang szól benne, és mindenkinek egyformán fontosak a gondolatai, mindenki egyformán ragaszkodhat foggal-körömmel az élethez, miközben egyedülállónak hiszi önmagát, pedig senki sem az. Az ember akár bele is fulladhat a jelentéktelenségbe."
Author: Ian McEwan

13. "Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter. . . ."He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:TOM MARVOLO RIDDLEThen he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:I AM LORD VOLDEMORT"
Author: J.K. Rowling

14. "O azonban mindig pontosan a tudatában volt, hogy bizonyos véletlenek valószerutlen találkozása miatt vagyunk itt a Földön, s ez ellen nem lehet küzdeni. Az emberek azt hiszik, joguk van az élethez. Ezt hirdetik a különféle vallások és törvények, sot az alkotmányok is, o azonban nem így látta a dolgot. Már miért is volna jogunk olyasmihez, amit nem mi építettünk, s amit ki sem érdemeltünk? – mondogatta. Senki sem panaszkodhat azért, hogy nem jött elobb a világra, vagy nem mindig volt jelen benne; következésképp miért is panaszkodhatnánk a halálunk miatt, vagy azért, hogy nem maradhatunk tovább a világon, mindörökre?"
Author: Javier Marías

15. "But...' Horace looked from one familiar face to another. 'How did you come to..?'Before he could finish the question, Will interupted, thinking to clarify matters but only making them more puzzling...'We were all in Toscana for the treaty signing,' he began, then corrected himself. 'Well, Evanlyn wasn't. She came later. But, when she did, she told us you were missing, so we all boarded Gundar's ship-you should see it. It's a new design that can sail into the wind. But anyway, that's not important. And just before we left, Selethen decided to join us-what with you being an old comrade in arms and all-and...'He got no further. Halt, seeing the confusion growing on Horace's face, held up a hand to stop his babbling former apprentice...Will stopped, a little embarrassed as he realized that he had been running off at the mouth."
Author: John Flanagan

16. "Gundar seemed to come to a decision. "Well, as my old mam used to say, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's probably a duck." "Very wise," Halt said. "And what exactly do your mother's words of wisdom have to do with this situation?" Gundar shrugged. "It looks like a channel. It's the right place for a channel. If I were digging one, this is where I'd dig a channel. So. . ." "So it's probably the channel?" Selethen said. Gundar grinned at him. "Either that or it's a duck."
Author: John Flanagan

17. "Halt eyed them balefully. They were all being so obvious about not mentioning his sudden reappearance that it was even worse than if they had commented on it...'Oh, go on!' he said. 'Somebody say something! I know what you're thinking!''It's good to see you up and about, Halt,' Selethen said gravely...Halt glared at the others and they quickly chorused their pleasure at seeing him back to his normal self. But he could see the grins they didn't quite manage to hide. He fixed a glare on Alyss.'I'm surprised at you Alyss,' he said. 'I expected no better of Will and Evanlyn, of course. Heartless beasts, the pair of them. But you! I thought you had been better trained!'...'Halt, I'm sorry! It's not funny, you're right... Shut up, Will.' This last was directed at Will as he tried, unsuccessfully, to smother a snigger."
Author: John Flanagan

18. "How are the negotiations progressing?" Halt asked.Selethen pursed his lips. "As all such things progress. My chamberlain is asking for a reduction of three-quarters of a percent on the duty to be charged for kafay. Your advocates," he said, including Sapristi in the conversation, "are holding out for no more than five-eighths of a percent. I had to have a break from it all. Sometimes I think they do this because they simply like to argue."Sapristi nodded. "It's always the way. We soldiers risk our lives fighting while the lawyers quibble over fractions of a percentage point. And yet they look upon us as lesser beings."
Author: John Flanagan

19. "Bear with me on this, Evanlyn. I know you're anxious about Horace."WIll was a little puzzled by Halt's words. "No more anxious than the rest of us, surely," he said.Halt turned away and raised his eyebrows as his gaze met Selethen's. Sometimes, he thought, his former apprentice could be remarkably slow on the uptake. He saw the Arridi's slow nod of understanding.~Halt & Will about Evanlyn and Horace"
Author: John Flanagan

20. "How do we get there? How did you get here, by the way?' [Will asked].He heard Halt's deep sigh and knew he'd done it again.'Do you ever,' the older Ranger said with great deliberation, 'manage to ask just one question at a time? Or does it always have to be multiple choice with you?'Will looked at him in surprise. 'Do I do that?' he asked. 'Are you sure?'Halt said nothing. He raised his hands in a 'See what I mean?' gesture...'Halt,' [Selethen said], 'I could be wrong, but I think you were just guilty of the same fault. I'm sure I heard you ask two questions just then.''Thank you for pointing that out, Lord Selethen,' Halt said with icy formality."
Author: John Flanagan

21. "Butterfly?" Will said. "Why Butterfly?" "I believe it's a term of great respect," Selethen said gravely. He was very obviously not laughing. Too obviously, Will thought. "It's all right for you," he said. "They called you 'Hawk.' Hawk is an excellent name. It's warlike and noble. But....Butterfly? Selethen nodded. "I agree that Hawk is an entirely suitable name. I assume it had to do with my courage and nobility of heart. Halt coughed and the Arridi lord looked at him, eyebrows raised. "I think it referred less to your heart and more to another part of your body," Halt said mildly. He tapped his finger meaningfully along the side of his nose. It was a gesture he'd always wanted an opportunity to use, and this one was to good to miss. Selethen sniffed and turned away, affecting not to notice."
Author: John Flanagan

22. "He rose, offering his hand to Evanlyn to assist her. Even though she was lithe and athletic as a cat, she took it, enjoying the contact. She saw Horace's slight frown as she did so and smiled to herself. A girl can never have too many admirers, she thought. Will seemed unperturbed by the fact that she retained hold of Selethen's hand a little longer than politeness dictated. But then, Ranger's were trained to look imperturbable. He was probably seething with jealousy, she thought."
Author: John Flanagan

23. "My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness painsMy sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,Or emptied some dull opiate to the drainsOne minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk:‘Tis not through envy of thy happy lot,But being too happy in thy happiness,—-That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees,In some melodious plotOf beechen green, and shadows numberless,Singest of summer in full-throated ease."
Author: John Keats

24. "Of four infernal rivers that disgorge/ Into the burning Lake their baleful streams;/Abhorred Styx the flood of deadly hate,/Sad Acheron of sorrow, black and deep;/Cocytus, nam'd of lamentation loud/ Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegethon/ Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage./ Far off from these a slow and silent stream,/ Lethe the River of Oblivion rolls/ Her wat'ry Labyrinth whereof who drinks,/ Forthwith his former state and being forgets,/ Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain."
Author: John Milton

25. "There was no "eventually", and Helen knew it. Even after she'd touched the water from the River Lethe and couldn't remember her own name, she'd still remembered Lucas. She'd never get over him. Lucas was it for her."
Author: Josephine Angelini

26. "My insides twist in a flurry of excitement, and I stiflethe laugh welling inside.Parker Whalen knows I'm alive."
Author: Katie Klein

27. "I'm buying you a coat." And I meant it. I opened the car door and slung my lether jacket around her shoulders. "It's February. Why don't you ever have a damn jacket on?" Echo slid her arms through my coat, closing her eyes as she inhaled. When she finally opened them, she fluttered her eyelashes, giving me a look of pure seduction. "Maybe I like wearing yours instead." I swallowed. I had plans, and those plans did not involve kissing her against my car. Damn it, she was going to kill me. "Congratulatios, it's yours." Her laughter warmed me in ways a jacket couldn't."
Author: Katie McGarry

28. "The Self Is Not PortableThe self is notportable. Itcannot be packed.It comes sneakingback to any placefrom which it'sbeen extracted,for it is nothing alone.It is not an entity.The ratio of selfto home: one partin seventy."
Author: Kay Ryan

29. "I hate lending, or borrowing—if you want me to read a book, tell me about it, or buy me a copy outright. Your loaned edition sits in my house like a real grievance. And in lieu of lending books, I buy extra copies of those I want to give away, which gives me the added pleasure of buying books I love again and again." --Jonathan Lethem"
Author: Leah Price

30. "I walk through the old yellow sunlightto get to my kitchen tablethe poem about melying there with the booksin which I am listedamong the dead and future Dylans"
Author: Leonard Cohen

31. "Beat me instead," she cried, "It's not Darren's fault! I lost her, I lether go--I cannot be free, I must be chained inside a house androbbed of my hawk, you damned tyrant, but I will not have Preciosachained too!"
Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley

32. "When wiggling through a holethe world looks different thanwhen scrubbed clean by the wiggleand looking back."
Author: Mark Nepo

33. "Give me the waters of Lethe that numb the heart, if they exist, I will still not have the power to forget you."
Author: Ovid

34. "SimpleComplex systems can arisefrom simple rules.It's notthat we want to survive,it's that we've been druggedand made to actas if we dowhile all the whilethe sea breaksand rolls, painlessly, under.If we're not copying it,we're lonely.Is this the knowledgethat demands to bepassed down?Time is made from swatchesof heaven and hell.If we're not killing it,we're hungry."
Author: Rae Armantrout

35. "A boy is in the parlour what the pit is in the playhouse; independent, irresponsible, looking out from his corner on such people and facts as pass by, he tries and sentences them on their merits, in the swift, summary way of boys, as good, bad, interesting, silly, eloquent, troublesome. He cumbers himself never about consequences, about interests: he gives an independent, genuine verdict. You must court him: he does not court you. But the man is, as it were, clapped into jail by his consciousness. As soon as he has once acted or spoken with eclat, he is a committed person, watched by the sympathy or the hatred of hundreds, whose affections must now enter into his account. There is no Lethe for this. Ah, that he could pass again into his neutrality! Who can thus avoid all pledges, and having observed, observe again from the same unaffected, unbiased, unbribable, unaffrighted innocence, must always be formidable."
Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson

36. "FableThe mountain and the squirrelHad a quarrel,And the former called the latter, "little prig ":Bun replied,"You are doubtless very big;But all sorts of things and weatherMust be taken in togetherTo make up a year,And a sphere.And I think it no disgraceTo occupy my place.If I'm not so large as you,You are not so small as I,And not half so spry.I'll not deny you makeA very pretty squirrel track;Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;If I cannot carry forests on my back,Neither can you crack a nut."
Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson

37. "The associations get only richer and more intense when you realise that the very concept of truth - the cornerstone of philosophy and religion alike, let alone law - also rests heavily on the meaning of waking up. And you don't need a philosopher to appreciate it, because there are clues to its dependency in everyday phrases such as 'waking up to the truth', 'my eyes were opened' and even 'wake up and smell the coffee'. If such phrases hint that waking up and truth are bedfellows of some sort, you need only go back to the ancient Greek for corroboration. There you'll find that the word truth is 'aletheia', from which in English we get the word for 'lethargy'. But see how the Greek word is 'a-letheia' rather than letheia - that is truth is the opposite of lethargy. And what is opposite of lethargy, if not waking up?"
Author: Robert Rowland Smith

38. "For Hood's sake,' the foreigner muttered. 'What's wrong with words?' 'With words,' said Redmask, turning away, 'meanings change.' 'Well,' Anaster Toc said, following as Redmask made his way back to his army's camp,.. 'that is precisely the point. That's their value - their ability to adapt -' 'Grow corrupt, you mean. The Letheri are masters at corrupting words, their meanings. They call war peace, they call tyranny liberty. On which side of the shadow you stand decides a word's meaning. Words are the weapons used by those who see others with contempt. A contempt which only deepens when they how those others are deceived and made into fools because they choose to believe. Because in their naivety they thought the meaning of a word was fixed, immune to abuse."
Author: Steven Erikson

39. "Space, like time, engenders forgetfulness; but it does so by setting us bodily free from our surroundings and giving us back our primitive, unattached state ... Time, we say, is Lethe; but change of air is a similar draught, and, if it works less thoroughly, does so more quickly."
Author: Thomas Mann

40. "Acts have consequences, Dixon, they must. These Louts believe all's right now,-- that they are free to get on with Lives that to them are no doubt important,-- with no Glimmer at all of the Debt they have taken on. That is what I smell'd,-- Lethe-Water. One of the things the newly-born forget, is how terrible its Taste, and Smell. In Time, these People are able to forget ev'rything. Be willing but to wait a little, and ye may gull them again and again, however ye wish,-- even unto their own Dissolution. In America, as I apprehend, Time is the true River that runs 'round Hell."
Author: Thomas Pynchon

41. "Nine-Line TrioletHere's a fine mess we got ourselves into,My angel, my darling, true love of my heartEtcetera. Must stop it but I can't begin to.Here's a fine mess we got ourselves into -Both in spin with nowhere to spin to,Bound by the old rules in life and in art.Here's a fine mess we got ourselves into,(I'll curse every rule in the book as we part)My angel, my darling, true love of my heart."
Author: Wendy Cope

42. "Let the snake wait underhis weedand the writingbe of words, slow and quick, sharpto strike, quiet to wait,sleepless.--through metaphor to reconcilethe people and the stones.Compose. (No ideasbut in things) Invent!Saxifrage is my flower that splitsthe rocks."
Author: William Carlos Williams

43. "(COMPARE)- Our birth is but a dream and a forgetting (Wordsworth)- ...so schläft er sehr rasch wieder ein, und schon nach vierundzwanzig Stunden ist es, als sei man niet weg gewesen und als sei die Reise der Traum einer Nacht. (Thomas Mann)- Thetis baptized her mortal son in Styx;A mortal mother would on Lethe fix. (Byron)"
Author: William Wordsworth

44. "I know the police cause you troubleThey cause trouble everywhereBut when you die and go to heavenYou find no policeman there"
Author: Woody Guthrie

Lethe Quotes Pictures