Talent, lying in the understanding, is often inherited genius, being the action of reason or imagination, rarely or never. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on imagination
Exclusively of the abstract sciences, the largest and worthiest portion of our knowledge consists of aphorisms: and the greatest and best of men is but an aphorism. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on knowledge
Sympathy constitutes friendship but in love there is a sort of antipathy, or opposing passion. Each strives to be the other, and both together make up one whole. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on love
The love of a mother is the veil of a softer light between the heart and the heavenly Father. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on love
The most happy marriage I can picture or imagine to myself would be the union of a deaf man to a blind woman. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on marriage
How like herrings and onions our vices are in the morning after we have committed them. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on morning
Swans sing before they die - 'twere no bad thing should certain persons die before they sing. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on nature
A poet ought not to pick nature's pocket. Let him borrow, and so borrow as to repay by the very act of borrowing. Examine nature accurately, but write from recollection, and trust more to the imagination than the memory. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on nature
I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry that is, prose = words in their best order - poetry = the best words in the best order. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on poetry
Poetry has been to me its own exceeding great reward it has given me the habit of wishing to discover the good and beautiful in all that meets and surrounds me. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on poetry
In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in failure. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on politics
The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions - the little, soon forgotten charities of a kiss or a smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on smile
Not one man in a thousand has the strength of mind or the goodness of heart to be an atheist. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on strength
Sympathy constitutes friendship but in love there is a sort of antipathy, or opposing passion. Each strives to be the other, and both together make up one whole. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on sympathy
All sympathy not consistent with acknowledged virtue is but disguised selfishness. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on sympathy
A poet ought not to pick nature's pocket. Let him borrow, and so borrow as to repay by the very act of borrowing. Examine nature accurately, but write from recollection, and trust more to the imagination than the memory. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on trust
Alas! they had been friends in youth but whispering tongues can poison truth. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on truth
He who begins by loving Christianity more than Truth, will proceed by loving his sect or church better than Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on truth
Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom. Samuel Taylor Coleridge on wisdom