Paul Valery

A man is a poet if difficulties inherent in his art provide him with ideas; he is not a poet if they deprive him of ideas. ↗

— Paul Valery

#deprive #difficulties #him #his #ideas

A man who is 'of sound mind' is one who keeps the inner madman under lock and key. ↗

— Paul Valery

#keeps #key #lock #madman #man

History is the science of things which are not repeated. ↗

— Paul Valery

#repeated #science #things #which

In poetry everything which must be said is almost impossible to say well. ↗

— Paul Valery

#everything #impossible #must #poetry #said

Long years must pass before the truths we have made for ourselves become our very flesh. ↗

— Paul Valery

#before #flesh #long #made #must

Man's great misfortune is that he has no organ, no kind of eyelid or brake, to mask or block a thought, or all thought, when he wants to. ↗

— Paul Valery

#brake #great #kind #man #mask

Poe is the only impeccable writer. He was never mistaken. ↗

— Paul Valery

#mistaken #never #only #poe #writer

Power without abuse loses its charm. ↗

— Paul Valery

#charm #loses #power #without

Serious-minded people have few ideas. People with ideas are never serious. ↗

— Paul Valery

#ideas #never #people #serious #serious-minded

That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false. ↗

— Paul Valery

#almost #always #been #certain #everyone