“Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, / Or what's a heaven for?”

— Robert Browning, Andrea del Sarto, line 98, Men and Women, 1855

About Robert Browning

1812 – 1889

English poet and playwright, known for his dramatic monologues.

“Earth changes, but thy soul and God stand sure.”

“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made.”

“Good, to forgive; best to forget.”

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.”

“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”