Atlas; Or The Minister Of State
TO THE LORD TREASURER OXFORD
1710
Atlas, we read in ancient song,
Was so exceeding tall and strong,
He bore the skies upon his back,
Just as the pedler does his pack;
But, as the pedler overpress'd
Unloads upon a stall to rest,
Or, when he can no longer stand
Desires a friend to lend a hand;
So Atlas, lest the ponderous spheres
Should sink, and fall about his ears,
Got Hercules to bear the pile,
That he might sit and rest awhile.
Yet Hercules was not so strong,
Nor could have borne it half so long.
Great statesmen are in this condition;
And Atlas is a politician,
A premier minister of state;
Alcides one of second rate.
Suppose then Atlas ne'er so wise;
Yet, when the weight of kingdoms lies
Too long upon his single shoulders,
Sink down he must, or find upholders.
poem by Jonathan Swift
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Related quotes
Sonnet 51: Pardon Mine Ears
Pardon mine ears, both I and they do pray,
So may your tongue still fluently proceed,
To them that do such entertainment need,
So may you still have somewhat new to say.
On silly me do not the burden lay,
Of all the grave conceits your brain doth breed;
But find some Hercules to bear, instead
Of Atlas tir'd, your wisdom's heav'nly sway.
For me, while you discourse of courtly tides,
Of cunning fishers in most troubled streams,
Of straying ways, when valiant error guides:
Meanwhile my heart confers with Stella's beams
And is even irk'd that so sweet comedy,
By such unsuited speech should hinder'd be.
poem by Philip Sidney
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Sand In My Face
I looked in the mirror
(what did you see looking at you? )
I saw a nine stone weakling
(what will you do? )
Dynamic tension waiting for you?
Dynamic tension make a man out of you
I opened my magazine
(what did you see? )
I saw mr. france
(what did he have? )
A girl on each shoulder
(what else? )
And one in his pants
Dynamic tension can do this for you
Dynamic tension make a man out of
You you you you you
So our hero goes down to the beach
Hes in real terrible shape
His chicks been seen with big alex
That mother kicked sand in his face
Now let me tell you about alex
Hes got:
Hands like hams
Knees like trees
200 lbs
Of surfboard hercules
Mr. atlas wont you bring her on back to me
I lost my girl down by the beach
Shes with alex and shes out of reach
So please mr. atlas wont you bring her on back to me
I saw your body in an advert on t.v.
But what convinced me was your money back guarantee
Now Im stronger than alex
(where is he now? )
Hes left in disgrace
(oh yeah? )
'cos I took back my girlfriend
(ha, ha, ha, ha)
And kicked sand in his face
(in his eyes, in his ears, in his nose)
Dynamic tension waiting for you
Dynamic tension make a man out of you
Dynamic tension, dynamic tension
Dynamic tension, dynamic tension
song performed by by 10 Cc
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Nobody picks on a strong man.
quote by Charles Atlas
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Little Hercules
(written by craig carothers)
So you cannot lift a spirit that has turned to lead
Or shine a light in shadow when the batteries are dead
Or fly like a bird over all the works of man
Or always think of the perfect words
But you do the best you can
Nothing seems as easy as it did when you were young
Myths may be invincible, but we are only strong
Strong like a memory, strong like a willow in the wind
Strong as youll ever be, you will always need to bend
And if you feel the weight of the world
Put your mind at ease
Little hercules
There are times when being a grown-up gets to be too much
And your sense of humor seems to vanish in the crush
Of the daily 9 to 9 that keeps your family alive
Youre just putting in your time
Does anyone really go home at 5?
Youve made a life where no one ever tells you what to do
Now the only tyrant that youre working for is you
Its never easy to keep all the promises you make
But no ones gonna get you fired
If youd just give yourself a brake
And if you feel the weight of the world
Put your mind at ease
Little hercules
cause theres so much on your shoulders
But you know its a breeze
Little hercules
Little hercules
song performed by by Trisha Yearwood
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Little Hercules
(written by craig carothers)
So you cannot lift a spirit that has turned to lead
Or shine a light in shadow when the batteries are dead
Or fly like a bird over all the works of man
Or always think of the perfect words
But you do the best you can
Nothing seems as easy as it did when you were young
Myths may be invincible, but we are only strong
Strong like a memory, strong like a willow in the wind
Strong as youll ever be, you will always need to bend
And if you feel the weight of the world
Put your mind at ease
Little hercules
There are times when being a grown-up gets to be too much
And your sense of humor seems to vanish in the crush
Of the daily 9 to 9 that keeps your family alive
Youre just putting in your time
Does anyone really go home at 5?
Youve made a life where no one ever tells you what to do
Now the only tyrant that youre working for is you
Its never easy to keep all the promises you make
But no ones gonna get you fired
If youd just give yourself a brake
And if you feel the weight of the world
Put your mind at ease
Little hercules
cause theres so much on your shoulders
But you know its a breeze
Little hercules
Little hercules
song performed by by Trisha Yearwood
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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St. Patty's day hangover fog
Clouds descend and spread
themselves out
across sleeping
suburban rooftops
morning fog
mind saturated in
opaque and pungent
thickness
heaven be truly felt
a heavy burden
not even the sky
can sustain such weight
what silly domestic fly
be so humanly
foolish
to think
himself
alone
to be an atlas?
Obscure
half blind
hundred rows of
side street houses
awaiting their
daily touch of sun
friend
lend to me
your life's lenses
enhance the scope
of my singular
smallworld vision
atop your shoulders
strengthen me in battle
hoist me up in lesson
so further distances
I may
(for certain having
not seen on my own)
come upon and travel
and when you
yourself
are found crushed
under the weight
carried in by the morning clouds
I invite and urge for you
to come find your share of
strength returned in me
poem by Gregory Allen Uhan
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Achilles Last Stand
(page/plant)
It was an april morning when they told us we should go
As I turn to you, you smiled at me
How could we say no?
With all the fun to have, to live the dreams we always had
Oh, the songs to sing, when we at last return again
Sending off a glancing kiss, to those who claim they know
Below the streets that steam and hiss,
The devils in his hole
Oh to sail away, to sandy lands and other days
Oh to touch the dream, hides inside and never seen.
Into the sun the south the north, at last the birds have flown
The shackles of commitment fell, in pieces on the ground
Oh to ride the wind, to tread the air above the din
Oh to laugh aloud, dancing as we fought the crowd
To seek the man whose pointing hand, the giant step unfolds
With guidance from the curving path, that churns up into stone
If one bell should ring, in celebration for a king
So fast the heart should beat, as proud the head with heavy feet.
Days went by when you and i, bathed in eternal summers glow
As far away and distant, our mutual child did grow
Oh the sweet refrain, soothes the soul and calms the pain
Oh albion remains, sleeping now to rise again
Wandering & wandering, what place to rest the search
The mighty arms of atlas, hold the heavens from the earth
The mighty arms of atlas, hold the heavens from the earth
From the earth...
I know the way, know the way, know the way, know the way (x2)
Oh the mighty arms of atlas, hold the heavens from the earth.
song performed by by Led Zeppelin
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Put The Weight On My Shoulders
Put the weight on my shoulders
Take the load off of your mind
Cause the headwinds that blow
Will fade away in time
Rest yourself on my waters
Take the lifeline from me
Rise above what has passed
And let yourself be free
I only know what love must bear
Through laiden times I will be there
And when your down Ill break the fall
Loose the weight on my shoulders
It aint no weight at all
I only know what love must do
When fortune cries Ill follow you
And when your down Ill break your fall
Put the weight on my shoulders
It aint no weight at all
Put the weight on my shoulders
See you star how it shines
Cause theyre so many dreams
Left to find
Put the weight on my shoulders .....
Put the weight on my shoulders .....
Put the weight on my shoulders .....
Put the weight on my shoulders .....
Put the weight on my shoulders .....
song performed by by Gino Vanelli
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Vision
There is an hour at night full of an awesome wonder,
When universal silence o'er the whole world lies
And when the cosmic chariot rolls, wakening no thunder,
Into the sanctuary of the skies.
The dark of chaos comes, land, sky and water merging;
Sleep Atlas-like treads earth, its weight like lead;
The gods with dreams prophetic fire the virgin
Soul of the Muse; all else is dead.
poem by Fyodor Ivanovich Tyutchev
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Drop the idea that you are Atlas carrying the world on your shoulders. The world would go on even without you. Don't take yourself so seriously.
quote by Norman Vincent Peale
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Man in hysterics
Poor Mom bought for him,
he has sold all to a second hand book-shop.
Algebra, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Zoology,
McMilan's World Atlas and et cetera.,
He hurried to a Pub for a tranquilizer.
On his way he memorized the gypsy palm reader
who was at the book-maker's stall.
One day read his palm and told
'definitely you will be a professor in a college'.
After a few gulps, while he was returning home
passing the university,
all of a sudden shouted in the public
'where is the professor?
Oh! my poor mom's professor'.
to my friend Max Reif.
poem by Nimal Dunuhinga
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I'll prove in only seven days that I can make you a new man.
quote by Charles Atlas
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Eros
Liberate Atlas and give his triceps a break
He's done enough squats with the continents as weight
Let Sisyphus rest after carrying the stone
Charge him pro bono and let all his crimes be atoned
Give Echo surgery so she can say hello
Instead of always speaking as a repetitive cello
Absolve Prometheus as supper for the vultures
Men should never wrought with the knowledge they aspire
But for Euros I remit all pardons towards
His contributions have brought love equal to wars
poem by Kevin Patrick
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15 minutes a day! Give me just this and I'll prove I can make you a new man.
quote by Charles Atlas
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A penumbra of somber dignity has descended over his reputation.
quote by James Atlas
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Pride is the recognition of the fact that you are your own highest value and, like all of man
Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged
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He was guilty of nothing, except that he earned his own fortune and never forgot that it was his.
Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged
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Our Atlas
Not Atlas, with his shoulders bent beneath the weighty world,
Bore such a burden as this man, on whom the Gods have hurled
The evils of old festering lands-yea, hurled them in their might
And left him standing all alone, to set the wrong things right.
It is the way the Fates have done since first Time's race began!
They open up Pandora's box before some chosen man;
And then, aloof, they wait and watch, to see if he will find
And wake the slumbering God that dwells in every mortal's mind.
Erect, our modern Atlas stands, with brave uplifted head,
And there is courage in his eyes, if in his heart be dread.
Not dread of foes, but dread of friends, who may not pull together,
To bring the lurching ship of State safe through the stormy weather.
Oh, never were there wilder waves or more stupendous seas,
Or rougher rocks or bleaker winds, or darker days than these.
Not Washington, not Lincoln knew so grave an hour of Time
As he who now stands face to face with War's world-shaking crime.
His brain is clear, his soul is brave, his heart is just and right,
He asks no honours of the earth, but favour in God's sight;
His aim is not to wear a crown or win imperial power,
But to use wisely for the race life's terrible great hour.
O Liberty, who lights the world with rays that come from God,
Shine on Columbia's troubled track, and make it bright and broad;
Shine on each heart, and give it strength to meet its pains and losses,
And give supernal strength to one who bears the whole world's crosses;
Take from his thought the fear of friends who may not pull together,
And bring the glorious ship of State safe through wild waves and weather.
poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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Happiness is possible only to a rational man, the man who desires nothing but rational goals, seeks nothing but rational values and finds his joy in nothing buy rational actions.
Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I tend to really be partial to Ayn Rand, and to The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
quote by Clarence Thomas
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