O that our souls could scale a height like this,
A mighty mountain swept o’er by the bleak
Keen winds of heaven; and, standing on that peak
Above the blinding clouds of prejudice,
Would we could see all truly as it is;
The calm eternal truth would keep us meek.Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) American poet
“A Hill-Top View” (1904)
Quotations by:
Jeffers, Robinson
That public men publish falsehoods
Is nothing new. That America must accept
Like the historical republics corruption and empire
Has been known for years.
Be angry at the sun for setting
If these things anger you.Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) American poet
“Be Angry at the Sun” (1941)
The wild God of the world is sometimes merciful to those
That ask mercy, not often to the arrogant.Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) American poet
“Hurt Hawks”
I sadly smiling remember that the flower fades to make fruit, the fruit rots to make earth.
Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) American poet
“Shine, Perishing Republic” (1939)
I suppose the desire for publication is a normal part of the instinct for writing … the writer sits at home, and the mere fact of being printed provides his verses with a kind of audience … So, having his vanity partially satisfied, he can go ahead and try better work.
Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) American poet
Letter to a group of Occidental College students (1955)