Alfred de Vigny Quotes

Hope is the greatest madness. What can we expect of a world that we enter with the assurance of seeing our fathers and mothers die? A world where, if two beings love each other and give their lives to each other, both can be sure that one will watch the other perish?

Those intellectuals are our natural enemies; the only kind who are worth anything are the musicians and the dancers: they don’t insult anybody with their performances, and they neither sing nor dance politics. So I like them; but don’t let me hear a word about the rest

Le Silence est la Poésie même pour moi.

Clamour can be stifled, but how avenge oneself on silence?

A book is a bottle thrown into the sea on which this label should be attached: Catch as catch can.

Observe this fact: in the history of mankind, every ruler who has lacked personal greatness has been forced to compensate for the deficiency by setting up the executioner at his right hand like a guardian angel

History is a novel whose author is the people.

Not one little fellow need fear that he will be forbidden to pluck his shining grape from the cluster of political Power, that fruit reputed to be so full of wealth and glory. Can’t every gang become a club? and every club an assembly? an assembly, a convention? a convention, a senate? and isn’t a senate meant to rule? And what senate ever ruled without a man to rule it? And what did it all require? – Daring! – Aha! Well said! – What! is that all it takes? – Yes, all! The ones who have arrived say so. – Then courage, numskulls, give tongue and run for it! – That’s how it’s done

L'existence du Soldat est (après la peine de mort) la trace la plus douloureuse de barbarie qui subsiste parmi les hommes.

In England the theatre has never been anything but a fashion for the upper classes or a debauch for the common people.

Silence alone is great; all else is weakness.

À voir ce que l’on fut sur terre et ce qu'on laisse
Seul le silence est grand; tout le reste est faiblesse.

La presse est une bouche forcée d'être toujours ouverte et de parler toujours. De là vient qu'elle dit mille fois qu'elle n'a rien à dire.

L'histoire est un roman dont le peuple est l'auteur.

La vie est trop courte pour que nous en perdions une part précieuse à nous contrefaire.