Let us turn to the past: that will be progress.
Giuseppe Verdi in Letter to Francesco Florimo (1871)
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
Vote! | Copy! | In Spanish | In Italian | In Romanian
Related quotes
We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.
quote by C.S. Lewis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Turn, O Libertad
TURN, O Libertad, for the war is over,
(From it and all henceforth expanding, doubting no more, resolute,
sweeping the world,)
Turn from lands retrospective, recording proofs of the past;
From the singers that sing the trailing glories of the past;
From the chants of the feudal world--the triumphs of kings, slavery,
caste;
Turn to the world, the triumphs reserv'd and to come--give up that
backward world;
Leave to the singers of hitherto--give them the trailing past;
But what remains, remains for singers for you--wars to come are for
you;
(Lo! how the wars of the past have duly inured to you--and the wars
of the present also inure:)
--Then turn, and be not alarm'd, O Libertad--turn your undying
face, 10
To where the future, greater than all the past,
Is swiftly, surely preparing for you.
poem by Walt Whitman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
If virtue promises happiness, prosperity and peace, then progress in virtue is progress in each of these for to whatever point the perfection of anything brings us, progress is always an approach toward it.
Nothing average ever stood as a monument to progress. When progress is for a partner it doesn't turn to those who believe that they are only average. It turns instead to those who are forever searching and striving to become the best they possibly can. If we seek the average level, we cannot hope to achieve a higher level of success. Our only hope is to avoid being a failure.
quote by Lou Vickery
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
We’ve Lost
Things around us change so rapidly
we sometimes forget what we’ve lost
to the call of progress.
The neighbourhoods and streets
where as children we played
replaced by blocks of flats towering tall.
No place for children to play anymore.
Blocks filled with broken lifts and stench laden stairs.
Its progress you know,
the property developers say with big grins.
Dens of iniquity more like.
Slowly eroded are close-knit communities
and the help one another attitude
replaced by isolation, as you grow old.
From a caring society of the past
to an uncaring one of the future.
Isolated in little boxes,
deprived of neighbourly help
as we progress down the road
forgetting all that we’ve lost.
13 January 2009
poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Turn To Me
Turn to me - when your heart breaks away
Turn to me - don't turn me away
When everything's sad and down
When you're looking for somewhere to run
Why don't you turn to me?
Turn to me
Why don't you turn to me?
Turn to me
Turn to me - when the moon gets to go
Turn to me - when the story's been told
When everything's dim and grey
And you're hitting a rainbow way
Why don't you turn to me?
Turn to me
Why don't you turn to me?
Turn to me
Now that christmas is here
A shadow of fears
And if you want to seek ....
Turn to me and read these lonely lonely eyes
Why don't you?
Why don't you turn to me?
Turn to me!
song performed by by Roxette
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Spring comes again an attempt at a villanelle
1)
Spring comes again, disbelieve it as we will,
Longest night is past and with it, shortest day,
Turn, turn, then turn again with the year wheel.
2)
Snow quiets the world, keeping deeply still,
Cold holds hard, holds dark, holds very Time at bay,
Spring comes again, disbelieve it as we will.
3)
Winters seem forever, only covering what we feel,
Something deep is waking, as old as Earth, as shy as May,
Turn, turn, then turn again with the year-wheel.
4)
Only change is endless, is timeless, never still,
Whispering wisdom tells us, make change welcome, be unafraid,
Spring comes again, disbelieve it as we will.
5)
Sun's new year's past, and with the Moon's we heal,
In late winter's trembling light, to the darkest days put paid,
Turn, turn, then turn again with the year-wheel.
6)
With snow-drops showing, and daring buds atop a hill,
The lesson's learned again, even winter cannot stay,
Turn, turn, then turn again with the year-wheel,
Spring comes again, disbelieve it as we will.
(written in April,2000)
poem by Gabrielle Ciarann Roniyah Baer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
I think it's the end of progress if you stand still and think of what you've done in the past. I keep on.
quote by Leslie Caron
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Turn Around
Want to cross
But I dont think I can
Its too weak here
Even where I stand
Come here darling
Let me see you hold my hand
So we can mend your broken halo
All I want from you
Well all I want from you
Is for you to turn around
Turn around
Wanted to damage
So I damaged it some
We used to have it all
Now I just got some
The silence, perfections, mysteries
All easy to fall from your lips
All the while lies were told to me
In shapeless secrets
When all I want from you
All I want from you
Is for you to turn around
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around
Cant you turn around
Cant you turn around
Cant you turn around
Why cant you turn around?
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around
song performed by by Whiskeytown
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Turn Around
Want to cross
But I dont think I can
Its too weak here
Even where I stand
Come here darling
Let me see you hold my hand
So we can mend your broken halo
All I want from you
Well all I want from you
Is for you to turn around
Turn around
Wanted to damage
So I damaged it some
We used to have it all
Now I just got some
The silence, perfections, mysteries
All easy to fall from your lips
All the while lies were told to me
In shapeless secrets
When all I want from you
All I want from you
Is for you to turn around
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around
Cant you turn around
Cant you turn around
Cant you turn around
Why cant you turn around?
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around
song performed by by Whiskeytown
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I Never Thought Of It That Way
I disagree!
I think I happen to be among the few,
Who believes they have succeeded tremendously.
Look around.
Observe.
What do you see?
'I see a waste of human energy! '
Go on...
And?
'I see a breakdown of dignity and self respect.'
And?
'I see a mess!
That's not progress.'
Who's talking about 'progress'?
I'm talking about what they've succeeded to do!
And it had to have been what they wanted...
Or this condition would not exist.
Hey...?
Maybe from their point of view,
We are witnessing THEIR 'progress'.
I never thought of it that way!
Maybe that's why they reject our version of unity!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
People tend to think that life really does progress for everyone eventually, that people progress, but actually only some people progress. The rest of the people don't.
quote by Alice Walker
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Get Some Rest
Getting little rest...
Isn't what's suggested is the best thing.
But...
Once one is committed,
It's difficult to quit.
Like many would would rather sit,
Just to...
Reminisce a bitterness,
Or...
Ignore the taking of those risks,
To...
Excuse the value of it.
And as a bit of a reminder...
Progress isn't made by sitting.
Progress isn't made by quitting.
Progress takes sacrificing,
What is wanted and what one likes.
And...
Progress isn't made by wishing.
Progress isn't made by shrinking...
Away to sneak a taste of cake,
While awaiting for someone else to make.
And...
Progress isn't made by sitting.
No.
Progress isn't made by quitting.
no.
Progress takes sacrificing,
What one wants, prefers and likes.
And,
Getting little rest...
Isn't what's suggested is the best thing.
But...
Once one is committed,
It's difficult to quit.
Like many would would rather sit,
Just to...
Reminisce a bitterness,
Or...
Ignore the taking of those risks,
To...
Excuse the value of it.
And as a bit of a reminder...
Get up and be tough.
Know,
To quit is not the best thing.
But...
Enough is enough.
And...
When it gets too rough,
You can...
Decide to get tougher.
But...
Get your rest.
Remember,
You can't do nuthin without...
Getting some rest.
You've got to,
Get your rest.
You've got to,
Get some rest!
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Turn It On
Reaching to another day
And the world is just one step away
Making money, aiming blind
Its time to change - leave it all behind
Turn it on - whenever you can
Turn it on - you know that you can
Hear the echos in you heart
Turn your mind in - then - make a start
Anything you want to be
Will soon become reality - then youll see
Turn it on - whenever you can
Turn it on - you know that you can
Youre out of touch - so turn it on
You dont need much - to burn it on
Take a different point of view
And discover just what you can do
Getting closer every day
Now the world is just a step away - (dontdelay)
Turn it on - whenever you can
Turn it on - you know that you can
You hit the top - so turn it on
Youll never stop - just burn it on
Turn it on (turn it on) - whenever you can
Turn it on (groovinon) - you know that you can
Turn it on (turn it on, yeah) - whenever you can
Turn it on (just movinon) - you know that you can
Turn it on
Turn it on
Turn it on
Turn it on
song performed by by Level 42
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Maybe the preoccupation with technological progress has overshadowed our concern with human progress.
quote by Wynton Marsalis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The reason men oppose progress is not that they hate progress, but that they love inertia.
quote by Elbert Hubbard
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The price of progress is trouble, and I must be making a lot of progress.
quote by Charles Erwin Wilson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.
quote by B.R. Ambedkar
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The greatest enemy of progress is not stagnation, but false progress.
quote by Sydney J. Harris
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
An aim of an argument should be progress, but progress ultimately means little without victory.
quote by Gary L. Francione
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy! | In Romanian