There are always flowers for those who want to see them.
~ Henri Matisse
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The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of wonder.
~ Chesterton
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In everything that arouses in us the pure and authentic sense of beauty, there really is the presence of God.
~ Simone Weil
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The world resembled his eternity,
In which my soul did walk;
And ev’ry thing that I did see
Did with me talk.
~ Thomas Traherne
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In all places, then, and in all seasons,
Flowers expand their light and soul-like wings,
Teaching us, by most persuasive reasons,
How akin they are to human things.
~ Longfellow
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Were I in churchless solitudes remaining,
Far from all voice of teachers and divines,
My soul would find, in flowers of God’s ordaining,
Priests, sermons, shrines!
~ Horace Smith
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The daisie, or els the eye of the day,
The empress and floure of floures all,
~ Chaucer
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Does not the soul begin to dream of its own boundless capacities, when it has felt beauty? Does not immortality then, for the first time, cease to be a name, a doctrine, and become a present experience?
~ John Sullivan Dwight
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But I will plight with the dainty rose,
For fairest of all is she.
~ Thomas Hood
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What is it that attracts the eyes of those to whom a beautiful object is presented, and calls them, lures them, towards it, and fills them with joy at the sight?
~ Plotinus
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And the soul includes a faculty peculiarly addressed to Beauty - one incomparably sure in the appreciation of its own, never in doubt whenever any lovely thing presents itself for judgement.
~ Plotinus
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Let each become godlike and each beautiful who cares to see God and Beauty.
~ Plotinus
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Him who, when he sees the beauty of earth, is transported with the recollection of the true Beauty.
~ Plato
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But of beauty, I repeat again that we saw her there shining in company with the celestial forms; and coming to earth we find her here too, shining in clearness through the clearest aperture of sense.
~ Plato
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Drawing towards and contemplating the vast sea of beauty, he will create many fair and noble thoughts.
~ Plato
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He who has ... learned to see the beautiful in due order and succession, when he comes toward the end will suddenly perceive a nature of wondrous beauty ... — beauty absolute, separate, simple, and everlasting.
~ Plato
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This is that life above all others which man should live, in the contemplation of Beauty absolute.
~ Plato
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Beauty is the revelation of the soul to the senses.
~ John Sullivan Dwight
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Again, the love of beauty awakens higher aspirations in us.
~ John Sullivan Dwight
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The greatest blessing, which could be bestowed on the weary multitude, would be to give them the sense of beauty; to open their eyes for them, and let them see how richly we are here surrounded, what a glorious temple we inhabit, how every part of it is eloquent of God.
~ John Sullivan Dwight
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Not all proud Sheba’s queenly offerings,
Could match the golden marvel of thy blooms.
~ Ina Donna Coolbrith
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Is it not God revealed through the senses? Is not every beautiful thing a divine hint thrown out to us?
~ John Sullivan Dwight
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The goddess isn’t gloomy, not high-flown,
She opens for the common man her rites,
And warns us: use life’s beauty while it blooms
~ Ovid
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Some say that unto bees a share is giv'n
Of the Divine Intelligence — to drink
Pure draughts of ether.
~ Virgil
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To tell their colours I have oft intended:
'T was vain; their number all accounts transcended.
Soon as their leaves have left their gemmy drops,
And Sol's beams warm their particolour'd tops,
~ Ovid
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Is it not God revealed through the senses? Is not every beautiful thing a divine hint thrown out to us?
~ John Sullivan Dwight
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Whose roses bloom and fade and bloom again;
~ Virgil
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The love of nature ends in the love of God.
~ John Sullivan Dwight
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Their wings they fray, and 'neath the burden yield
Their liberal lives: so deep their love of flowers,
So glorious deem they honey's proud acquist.
~ Virgil
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Her golden glory, thou! on hills and plains,
Lifting, exultant, every kingly cup
Brimmed with the golden vintage of the sun.
~ Ina Donna Coolbrith
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