Folly
(For A. K. K.)
What distant mountains thrill and glow
Beneath our Lady Folly's tread?
Why has she left us, wise in woe,
Shrewd, practical, uncomforted?
We cannot love or dream or sing,
We are too cynical to pray,
There is no joy in anything
Since Lady Folly went away.
Many a knight and gentle maid,
Whose glory shines from years gone by,
Through ignorance was unafraid
And as a fool knew how to die.
Saint Folly rode beside Jehanne
And broke the ranks of Hell with her,
And Folly's smile shone brightly on
Christ's plaything, Brother Juniper.
Our minds are troubled and defiled
By study in a weary school.
O for the folly of the child!
The ready courage of the fool!
Lord, crush our knowledge utterly
And make us humble, simple men;
And cleansed of wisdom, let us see
Our Lady Folly's face again.
poem by Joyce Kilmer
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Chanson d’Amour
I thought to live without true love
All my life through to be at peace,
But this heart, once again, would prove
Its folly from which I had won free.
Greater the folly is in me
Than child crying foolishly
To possess the lovely star
He sees shining clear and far.
However much I may despair
Love has well rewarded me
For serving him with all the care
I possess, without treachery,
Making Folly’s King of me.
Let all beware his deceit
Who grants such a gift, we see,
To those who serve loyally.
If I show anger it’s no wonder
To one who wounds me so sore
God! If I had him in my power
For just one day and no more:
Then he’d pay for his folly
As God my witness be!
He’d pay with his death, unless
He vanquished my lady blessed.
Ay! Noble heart, that is so wise,
Don’t scorn all my foolishness.
I know I’ve not the slightest right
To love you, just a lover’s right:
But folly drives us recklessly
Like a storm-tossed ship at sea,
That’s blown where the wind will blow,
Until all’s wrecked and brought low.
My lady who lacks never a grace,
Generous, kind, show me mercy:
Since there’s no evil in that face
But all good shines there clearly,
You know from whence this folly
That takes my life comes to me.
To whom can I cry again,
Except to you, in pain?
Song, pay her your respects, she
Is my sweet folly, and please
Beg her for God and honour
Never to prove a traitor.
poem by Le Châtelain de Coucy
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Extracts From An Opera
O! were I one of the Olympian twelve,
Their godships should pass this into law,--
That when a man doth set himself in toil
After some beauty veiled far away,
Each step he took should make his lady's hand
More soft, more white, and her fair cheek more fair;
And for each briar-berry he might eat,
A kiss should bud upon the tree of love,
And pulp and ripen richer every hour,
To melt away upon the traveller's lips.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1.
The sun, with his great eye,
Sees not so much as I;
And the moon, all silve-proud,
Might as well be in a cloud.
2.
And O the spring -- the spring!
I lead the life of a king!
Couch'd in the teeming grass,
I spy each pretty lass.
3.
I look where no one dares,
And I stare where no one stares,
And when the night is nigh,
Lambs bleat my lullaby.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Folly's Song.
When wedding fiddles are a-playing,
Huzza for folly O!
And when maidens go a-Maying,
Huzza for folly O!
When a milk-pail is upset,
Huzza for folly O!
And the clothes left in the wet,
Huzza for folly O!
When the barrel's set abroach,
Huzza for folly O!
When Kate Eyebrow keeps a coach,
Huzza for folly O!
When the pig is over-roasted,
Huzza for folly O!
And the cheese is over-toasted,
Huzza for folly O!
When Sir Snap is with his lawyer,
Huzza for folly O!
And Miss Chap has kiss'd the sawyer,
Huzza for folly O!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Oh, I am frighten'd with most hateful thoughts!
Perhaps her voice is not a nightingale's,
Perhaps her teeth are not the fairest pearl;
Her eye-lashes may be, for aught I know,
Not longer than the May-fly's small fan-horns;
There may not be one dimple on her hand;
And freckles many; ah! a careless nurse,
In haste to teach the little thing to walk,
May have crumpt up a pair of Dian's legs,
And warpt the ivory of a Juno's neck.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Song.
1.
The stranger lighted from his steed,
And ere he spake a word,
He seiz'd my lady's lily hand,
And kiss'd it all unheard.
2.
The stranger walk'd into the hall,
And ere he spake a word,
He kiss'd my lady's cherry lips,
And kiss'd 'em all unheard.
3.
The stranger walk'd into the bower,--
But my lady first did go,--
Aye hand in hand into the bower,
Where my lord's roses blow.
4.
My lady's maid had a silken scarf,
And a golden ring had she,
And a kiss from the stranger, as off he went
Again on his fair palfrey.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Asleep! O sleep a little while, white pearl!
And let me kneel, and let me pray to thee,
And let me call Heaven’s blessing on thine eyes,
And let me breathe into the happy air,
That doth enfold and touch thee all about,
Vows of my slavery, my giving up,
My sudden adoration, my great love!
poem by John Keats
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
oH THE folly of Men
was it said
somewhere else
that Man's folly
is God's
wisdom?
could this be
the same as
Man's wisdom
is God's Folly?
Man is foolish
to love gold
God is wise
to love nothing.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Love And Folly
LOVE, who now deals to human hearts,
Such ill thrown, yet resistless darts,
That hapless mortals can't withstand them,
Was once less cruel and perverse,
Nor did he then his shafts disperse,
So much at random.
It happened, that the thoughtless child
Was rambling thro' a flowery wild,
Like idle lad in school vacation;
Where sauntering now, and now at rest,
Stroll'd Folly, who to Love address'd
His conversation.
On trifles he had much to say,
Then laughing he propos'd to play,
And stake against Love's bow his bauble;
The quiver'd gamester smil'd and won,
But testy Folly soon began
To fret and squabble.
Loud and more loud the quarrel grows;
From words the wranglers went to blows,
For Folly's rage is prompt to rise;
Till bleeding Love a martyr stood
A stroke from Folly's weapon rude,
Put out his eyes.
Then wild with anguish, Venus pray'd,
For vengeance on the idiot's head,
And begg'd of cloud-compelling Jove,
His swiftest lightening, to destroy,
The mischievous malignant boy
That blinded Love.
'Folly is immortal,' Jove replied,
'But, tho' your prayer must be denied,
'An endless penance is decreed him;
'For Love, tho' blind, will reign around
'The world; but still where-ever found,
'Folly shall lead him.'
poem by Charlotte Smith
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Old Man Kensey
Old man kensey wants to be a sign painter
First hes got to learn to read
Hes gonna be a clown on tv
Flexes his elbow taunt and free
Thats my folly, I believe
Drink up the lake kenseys awake
Thats my folly, thats my mistake
Old man kensey wants to be a goalie
First hes got to learn to count
Hes gonna be a clown on a circus mount
Letters to be signed and dropped off
Kenseys going far
John, bill and ed, stand on your head
Thats my folly, Im ready to go
Old man kensey wants to be a dog catcher
First hes got to learn to stand
Hes gonna be a clown in a marching band
Letters to be signed ransom greed
Thats my folly, I believe
Drink up the lake, john, bill and ed,
Thats my folly, thats my mistake
Kenseys awake, stand on your head
Thats my folly, Im ready to go
song performed by by REM
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Folly And The Peace
Distribute the folly among the people of nearness,
Tabulate their weaknesses, scribes are again.
A gain has been committed for the reality,
The worlds of greatness complain so they gain.
To folly we achieve our peace, but the great worlds
Inhibit this folly, for the goodness, for the belly of ache.
Forward they walk, backward they glance,
To act according to the peace and war has been achieved.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Love is the wisdom of the fool, and the folly of the wise.
quote by Samuel Johnson
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
Vote! | Copy! | In Spanish | In Italian | In Romanian
Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise.
quote by Samuel Johnson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Dolphin II
She told me tales of Arion
and the sly Ulysses
and filled my ringing ears
with sounding arias
of love among the fishes.
Oh, the waves are the laughter of water!
She dined upon the minnows
the whelk and such-like crill
but took from them contagion
that made her deadly ill
and gone, she's gone away.
Folly, say, and folly
for luxury to make
imperishable mischief
of every sea and lake.
So sadly short of sight.
Oh, the waves are the laughter of water!
Folly, cry, and folly
that loutish lucre makes
illimitable mischief
of every loch and brake.
So madly short of sight
Where is the lovely dolphin
that used to swim with me
along the gleaming torrents of
the vast, uncrowded sea?
the vast, uncrowded sea.
poem by Morgan Michaels
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Upon A Venerable Rival
Full thirty frosts since thou wert young
Have chilled the withered grove,
Thou wretch! and hast thou lived so long,
Nor yet forgot to love?
Ye sages! spite of your pretences
To wisdom, you must own
Your folly frequently commences
When you acknowledge none.
Not that I deem it weak to love,
Or folly to admire;
But ah! the pangs we lovers prove
Far other years require.
Unheeded on the youthful brow
The beams of Phoebus play;
But unsupported age stoops low
Beneath the sultry ray.
For once, then, if untutored youth,
Youth unapproved by years,
May chance to deviate into truth,
When your experience errs;
For once attempt not to despise
What I esteem a rule:
Who early loves, though young, is wise,--
Who old, though gray, a fool.
poem by William Cowper
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Love I have served, for such length of time
Love I have served, for such length of time
If I forsake Him no man should blame me,
Now I go, and commend him to God in rhyme,
Man shouldn’t give his whole life to folly.
And he’s a fool who can’t keep from loving,
And can’t see in it all these torments of mine.
I’d be thought a child if I furthered the crime,
There’s a season for everything in being.
I’ve never been like those other men
Who having loved, seek to decry him,
And speak of him with boorish intent:
A man shouldn’t sell his loyalty towards him
Nor slander his Lord nor turn against him:
Let whoever renounces avoid dissent.
For myself, my wishes are all well meant.
May lovers have joy, now I’m free again.
Love has been good to me until now,
For he made me love with nobility
The loveliest and the best I vow,
That in my opinion’s ever been seen.
Love wishes it and my Lady begs me
To leave off loving, I thank her and bow,
Since it pleases my lady I do allow
No better reason than that for me.
No other reward from Love I received
Long though I served him faithfully:
But God in his mercy has rescued me,
And released me from his mastery.
Since I’ve escaped with my life, I see
This as the best hour of life, set free,
And I’ll still write many an elegy,
And many a sonnet and eulogy.
A man at the outset should always take care
To aim at something modest to win,
Though Love won’t always let us beware
What we choose as object, or what we think.
We fall for a stranger, and in we sink,
Who lives so far off we can’t travel there,
Rather than with one who’s always near:
And that shows the folly Love traps us in.
Now God save me from love, and loving again,
Except love of Her whom we should love here,
Through whom every man’s redeemed from sin.
poem by Thibaut de Champagne
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Philosophic Pill
I've wisdom from the East and from the West,
That's subject to no academic rule;
You may find it in the jeering of a jest,
Or distill it from the folly of a fool.
I can teach you with a quip, if I've a mind;
I can trick you into learning with a laugh;
Oh, winnow all my folly, and you'll find
A grain or two of truth among the chaff!
I can set a braggart quailing with a quip,
The upstart I can wither with a whim;
He may wear a merry laugh upon his lip,
But his laughter has an echo that is grim.
When they've offered to the world in merry guise,
Unpleasant truths are swallowed with a will -
For he who'd make his fellow-creatures wise
Should always gild the philosophic pill!
poem by William Schwenck Gilbert
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance.
True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not he knoweth all things but his own ignorance.
The Atheists In Their Folly
THE ATHEISTS IN THEIR FOLLY
The atheists in their folly
Celebrate the alleged ‘death of God’.
In the end all of us will be nothing.
Only God can save us
Only God.
poem by Shalom Freedman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
La Fraisne
For I was a gaunt, grave councillor
Being in all things wise, and very old,
But I have put aside this folly and the cold
That old age weareth for a cloak.
I was quite strong-at least they said so-
The young men at the sword-play;
But I have put aside this folly, being gay
In another fashion that more suiteth me.
I have curled 'mid the boles of the ash wood,
I have hidden my face where the oak
Spread his leaves over me, and the yoke
Of the old ways of men have I cast aside.
By the still pool of Mar-nan-otha
Have I found me a bride
That was a dog-wood tree some syne.
She hath called me from mine old ways
She hath hushed my rancour of council,
Bidding me praise
Naught but the wind that flutters in the leaves.
She hath drawn me from mine old ways,
Till men say that I am mad;
But I have seen the sorrow of men, and am glad,
For I know that the wailing and bitterness are a folly.
And I? I have put aside all folly and all grief.
I wrapped my tears in an ellum leaf
And left them under a stone
And now men call me mad because I have thrown
All folly from me, putting it aside
To leave the old barren ways of men,
Because my bride
Is a pool of the wood, and
Though all men say that I am mad
It is only that I am glad,
Very glad, for my bride hath toward me a great love
That is sweeter than the love of women
That plague and burn and drive one away.
Aie-e! 'Tis true that I am gay
Quite gay, for I have her alone here
And no man troubleth us.
Once when I was among the young men . . .
And they said I was quite strong, among the young men.
Once there was a woman . . .
. . . but I forget . . . she was . .
... I hope she will not come again.
... I do not remember…..
I think she hurt me once, but . . .
That was very long ago.
I do not like to remember things any more.
I like one little band of winds that blow
In the ash trees here:
For we are quite alone
Here 'mid the ash trees.
poem by Ezra Pound
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The fool who persists in his folly will become wise.
quote by William Blake
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.
quote by William Blake
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Idlers’ Paradise
Empty minds of pride and gait
Who shall for you open the gate?
So you perceive freedom
And intelligence of dome
For the far you see
Is no far than the folly sea
The near you perceive
Is no near than deafness can receive
You dream of glory
For no one do you feel sorry
Like thorns tearing flesh
You are insensitive when you thresh
Your haven is ignorance
For you give knowledge no chance
Your glances are squinted
And feelings stunted
Your glory
Is purely gory
How for food you wish
Yet you never learn how to fish
Your privileges fill up your bowels
And the your scotch drains our wells
We work no harder that you do
Only we don’t remain constant like sky-blue
We invent and innovate
When it is spoilt we renovate
But you will never graduate
From folly to better state
Hark! O ye that spill grain
Grain that left backs with sprain
Without raising a finger
Or even colluding with the harvest singer
To motivate they that toiled
You have come and spoiled
What you never for moiled
Granted an Armageddon is coming
No matter how much it will be raining
When the firing comes
You will not be saved under any terms
poem by David Munene wa Kimberly
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.
quote by Bible, Proverbs 26:4 (NIV)
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!