When I encountered this in a university English lit course, it blew my mind:
William Blake, "The Proverbs of Hell" (excerpts)
As I was walking among the fires of Hell, delighted with the enjoyments of Genius, which to Angels look like torment and insanity, I collected some of their Proverbs; thinking that as the sayings used in a nation mark its character, so the Proverbs of Hell show the nature of Infernal wisdom better than any description of buildings or garments.
1. In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.
2. Drive your cart and your plough over the bones of the dead.
3. The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
4. Prudence is a rich, ugly old maid courted by Incapacity.
5. He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.
6. The cut worm forgives the plough.
7. Dip him in the river who loves water.
8. A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.
9. He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star.
10. Eternity is in love with the productions of time.
11. The hours of folly are measur’d by the clock; but of wisdom, no clock can measure.
12. No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.
13. A dead body revenges not injuries.
14. If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.
15. Shame is Pride’s cloak.
16. Prisons are built with stones of Law, brothels with bricks of Religion.
17. The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.
18. The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.
19. The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.
20. The nakedness of woman is the work of God.
21. Excess of sorrow laughs. Excess of joy weeps.
22. The fox condemns the trap, not himself.
23. Joys impregnate. Sorrows bring forth.
24. The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.
25. What is now proved was once only imagin’d.
26. The cistern contains: the fountain overflows.
27. One thought fills immensity.
28. Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you.
29. Everything possible to be believ’d is an image of truth.
30. The eagle never lost so much time as when he submitted to learn of the crow.
31. The fox provides for himself; but God provides for the lion.
32. As the plough follows words, so God rewards prayers.
33. The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.
34. Expect poison from the standing water.
35. You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.
36. Listen to the fool’s reproach! it is a kingly title!
37. As the caterpillar chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest lays his curse on the fairest joys.
38. To create a little flower is the labour of ages.
39. As the air to a bird or the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible.
40. The crow wish’d everything was black, the owl that everything was white.
41. Sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.
42. Where man is not, nature is barren.
— from
“The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”