Zbigniew Herbert Quotes

• No time to grieve for roses when the forests are burning.

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Grief, Grieving, Rose

  Zbigniew Herbert (2014). “The Collected Poems 1956 - 1998”, p.19, Atlantic Books Ltd

  74 Copy quote

• I turn to history not for lessons but to confront my experience with the experience of others and to win for myself a sense of responsibility for the state of the human conscience.

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Responsibility, Winning, Lessons

  "The Truth of Poetry". Book by Michael Hamburger, 1969.

  18 Copy quote

• Study the world's skin before you set out to look for its heart.

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Heart, Advice, Skins

  17 Copy quote

• And if the City falls and one survives
  he shall carry the City within on the roads of exile
  he shall be the City

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Fall, Cities, Exile

  19 Copy quote

• Be courageous when the mind deceives you Be courageous In the final account only this is important

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Mind, Important, Finals

  Zbigniew Herbert (1977). “Selected poems”

  18 Copy quote

• Inanimate objects are always correct and cannot, unfortunately, be reproached with anything. I have never observed a chair shift from one foot to another, or a bed rear on its hind legs. And tables, even when they are tired, will not dare to bend their knees. I suspect that objects do this from pedagogical considerations, to reprove us constantly for our instability.

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Tired, Feet, Bed

  Zbigniew Herbert (2014). “The Collected Poems 1956 - 1998”, p.147, Atlantic Books Ltd

  14 Copy quote

• Even if we love someone very much, at times it happens that we forget about it.

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Forget, Love Someone, Happens

  Zbigniew Herbert (1977). “Selected poems”

  16 Copy quote

• I could write a treatise on the sudden transformation of life into archaeology

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Writing, Transformation, Archaeology

  Zbigniew Herbert, John Carpenter, Bogdana Carpenter (1985). “Raport z oblezonego miasta i inne wiersze”, Ecco Pr

  8 Copy quote

• forgive me also that I didn't fight like Lord Byron for the happiness of captive peoples that I watched only risings of the moon and museums

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Fighting, Moon, Museums

  Zbigniew Herbert, John Carpenter, Bogdana Carpenter (1985). “Raport z oblezonego miasta i inne wiersze”, Ecco Pr

  10 Copy quote

• The dead have need of fairy tales too.

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Needs, Fairy Tale, Fairy

  Zbigniew Herbert (2014). “The Collected Poems 1956 - 1998”, p.47, Atlantic Books Ltd

  9 Copy quote

• I thank You Lord for creating the world beautiful and various and if this is Your seduction I am seduced for good and past all forgiveness

  Zbigniew Herbert

  Beautiful, Past, Creating

  Zbigniew Herbert (2014). “The Collected Poems 1956 - 1998”, p.358, Atlantic Books Ltd

  10 Copy quote

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