William Shakespeare

“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

“The quality of mercy is not strain'd, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven.”

“All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances.”

“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?”

“Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds”

“For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings that then I scorn to change my state with kings.”

“So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

“But if the while I think on thee, dear friend, All losses are restored and sorrows end.”

“Who is Silvia? What is she? That all our swains commend her? Holy, fair, and wise is she; The heaven such grace did lend her, That she might admired be.”

“Then to Silvia let us sing, That Silvia is excelling; She excels each mortal thing Upon the dull earth dwelling: To her let us garlands bring.”

“Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore, So do our minutes hasten to their end, Each changing place with that which goes before, In sequent toil all forwards do contend.”

“Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth, And delves the parallels in beauty’s brow, Feeds on the rarities of nature’s truth, And nothing stands but for his scythe to mow.”

“And nothing ’gainst Time’s scythe can make defence Save breed to brave him, when he takes thee hence.”

“Yet do thy worst, old Time; despite thy wrong, My love shall in my verse ever live young.”

“When to the sessions of sweet silent thought, I summon up remembrance of things past, I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought, And with old woes new wail my dear time’s waste: Then can I drown an eye (unused to flow) For precious friends hid in death’s dateless night, And weep afresh love’s long since cancelled woe, And moan th’ expense of many a vanished sight.”

“That time of year thou mayst in me behold, When yellow leaves, or none, or few do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.”

“When I have seen such interchange of State, Or state it self confounded, to decay, Ruin hath taught me thus to ruminate: That Time will come and take my love away. This thought is as a death which cannot choose But weep to have, that which it fears to lose.”

“Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, But sad mortality o’ersways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower?”

“Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle’s compass come, Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom: If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.”

“To thine own self be true.”

“Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice.”

“Sweet are the uses of adversity, which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”

“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.”