Smartyfair
The heights by great men reached and kept Were not attained by sudden flight, But they while their companions slept Were toiling upward in the night.

Where these words come from

How sure this is
85% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up
The Ladder of Saint Augustine.; Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, ninth edition, Henry W. Longfellow entry; The Ladder of Saint Augustine.; Wording and named work checked in Bartlett’s published reference; literary quotations are excerpts. Source identifies the work and locator.
Work
The Ladder of Saint Augustine.
Sources checked
  • gutenberg.orgChecked using manual, 17 October 2026The Ladder of Saint Augustine.; Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, ninth edition, Henry W. Longfellow entry; The Ladder of Saint Augustine.; Wording and named work checked in Bartlett’s published reference; literary quotations are excerpts. Source identifies the work and locator.

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