Poul Anderson Quotes
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Man does not live by bread alone, nor guns, paperwork, theses, naked practicalities.
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Be calm. A man can do but little. Enough if that little be right.
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She rarely saw priest-and knowing her heart sinned, was glad of that. Dreary was a church after the woodlands and hills and sounding sea. She still loved God-and was not the earth His work, and a church only man’s?-but she could not bring herself to call on Him very often.
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'At least we can put a little sense into life.''I don’t know whether we do or whether we find what was always there,' he replied. 'Nor do I care greatly. To me, the important thing is that the purpose-order, beauty, spirit, whatever you want to call it-does exist.'
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One man, one vote: A legal doctrine requiring that, from time to time, old gerrymanders be replaced with new ones. The object of this is the achievement of genuine democracy.
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Then they died.And other men came after them. Wars flamed up and burned out; the howling peoples dwelt in smashed cities and kindled their fires with books.
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I say that a God who would come between two who have been to each other what we have been, is not one I would heed.
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I’ll give you one thing to mull over, though. If the body’s such a valueless piece of pork, and we’ll all meet each other in the sweet bye and bye, and so on, why’re you busting every gut you own to get back to your wife?
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The last thing any sane person wants is a jihad.
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’Tis colder outside than a well-born maiden’s heart.
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Hurry and hurry, autumn leaves hurrying on the rainy wind, snow hurrying out of the sky, life hurrying to death, gods hurrying to oblivion.
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There really wasn’t much in a man’s life that mattered. But those few things mattered terribly.
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'We need a reserve of life, every kind of life,' he explained. 'Today for the spirit-a glimpse of space and green. Tomorrow for survival, flat-out survival.'
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We must understand that what Pascal said is true of every human being in the whole of space-time, ourselves included-'The last act is tragic, however pleasant all the comedy of the other acts. A little earth on our heads, and all is done with forever.'-understand it in our bones, so that we can live with it calmly if not serenely.
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Don’t get me wrong. These people are mine. I like and in many ways admire them. They’re the salt of the earth. It’s simply that I want other condiments too.
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'I've heard assorted rhapsodies about humankind going to the stars, of course. Who hasn't? Each of them founders on the practical problems.' 'The fish that first ventured ashore had considerable practical problems.'
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'You are much too kind,' said Holger, overwhelmed.'Nay.' Alfric waved his hand. 'You mortals know not how tedious undying life can become, and how gladly a challenge such as this is greeted. ’Tis I should thank you.'
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Light fills the air, wind is aglow, drink of it, breathe of it, make leafing. Rainfall sows itself, it grows down through soil to the secret places where stones abide; it brings the strength of them up rootward. Lie still, molder away, then be again grass.
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Keep on thinking. Keep your thinking close to the ground, where it belongs. Don’t ever trade your liberty for another man’s offer to do your thinking and make your mistakes for you.
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I’m still spry, but I feel the teeth gnawing, and believe me, my friends, it was better to be young.
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As evil waxes, the very men who stand for good will in their fear use ever worse means o’ fighting, and thereby give evil a free beachhead.
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'I think you look on death as your friend,' she murmured. 'That is a strange friend for a young man to have.''The only faithful friend in this world,' he said. 'Death is always sure to be at your side.'
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A cultured, sensitive, observant man is a pleasure to be with in any age.
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'But your sign says you can conjure up ever-filled purses,' Holger began.'Advertising,' Martinus admitted. 'Corroborative detail intended to lend artistic verisimilitude.'