WIST Quotations

Millay, Edna St. Vincent -- Poem (1934), “On Thought in Harness,” Wine from These Grapes, Part 4 (1934)

Dave — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 03:01:18 +0000

Soar, eat ether, see what has never been seen; depart, be lost,
But climb.

Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892–1950) American poet
Poem (1934), “On Thought in Harness,” Wine from These Grapes, Part 4 (1934)

Goethe, Johann von -- Sprüche in Prosa: Maximen und Reflexionen [Proverbs in Prose: Maxims and Reflections] (1833) [tr. Saunders (1893), “Life and Character,” #33]

Dave — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 11:43:59 +0000

Everything that frees our spirit without giving us control of ourselves is ruinous.

[Alles, was unsern Geist befreit, ohne uns die Herrschaft über uns selbst zu geben, ist verderblich.]

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German poet, statesman, scientist
Sprüche in Prosa: Maximen und Reflexionen [Proverbs in Prose: Maxims and Reflections] (1833) [tr. Saunders (1893), “Life and Character,” #33]

From Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years (1829). (Source (German)). Other translations:

Every thing that frees our spirit without giving us the mastery over ourselves is pernicious.
[tr. Rönnfeldt (1900)]

Everything that liberates our mind without at the same time imparting self-control is pernicious.
[tr. Stopp (1995), #504]

Keller, Helen -- Let Us Have Faith, “Faith Fears Not” (1940)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. God Himself is not secure, having given man dominion over His works! Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. Faith alone defends. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.

Helen Keller (1880–1968) American author and lecturer
Let Us Have Faith, “Faith Fears Not” (1940)

Reprinted in her compilation book, The Open Door (1957). This quotation is often given in excerpted form, leaving out certain sentences, or even rearranging some of the sentences and sometimes making it seem that the two sources are actually different.