Robert Frost, one of the most celebrated poets in American history, left a legacy through his vivid portrayals of rural life and his profound philosophical insights. Born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco, California, and passing away on January 29, 1963, Frost’s work encapsulates the essence of American poetry, earning him four Pulitzer Prizes. His contributions to literature and society are immortalized not only in his poems but also in his enduring quotes that touch on the human experience, nature, and the complexities of life. This collection aims to explore the depth of Frost’s wisdom through 100 of his best quotes, categorized into themes that reflect personal virtues, interpersonal relations, and societal values.
Robert Frost’s Quotes on Personal Virtues and Growth
Robert Frost’s poetry and quotes often delve into themes of personal virtue and growth, exploring the journey of self-discovery, the importance of education, and the cultivation of character. His reflections encourage us to pursue knowledge, embrace our individuality, and understand the value of hard work and moral integrity.
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Character
“The best way out is always through.”
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.”
“A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body – the wishbone.”
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Education
“Education doesn’t change life much. It just lifts trouble to a higher plane of regard.”
“Education is hanging around until you’ve caught on.”
“The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning, and does not stop until you get into the office.”
“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.”
“The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Knowledge
“We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the Secret sits in the middle and knows.”
“To be a poet is a condition, not a profession.”
“A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness.”
“Poetry is what gets lost in translation.”
“A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Intelligence
“Thinking isn’t agreeing or disagreeing. That’s voting.”
“The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.”
“The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up and does not stop until you get into the office.”
“The world is full of willing people; some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.”
“By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Wisdom
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
“The only way out is always through.”
“The best way out is always through.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Virtue
“Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee, and I’ll forgive Thy great big one on me.”
“A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.”
“Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.”
“Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”
“Freedom lies in being bold.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Ethics
“A good book has no ending.”
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
“Poetry is a way of taking life by the throat.”
“The middle of the road is where the white line is—and that’s the worst place to drive.”
“A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman’s birthday but never remembers her age.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Morality
“The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.”
“Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor.”
“Nothing can make injustice just but mercy.”
“The only certain freedom’s in departure.”
“You can be a little ungrammatical if you come from the right part of the country.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Courage
“The best way out is always through.”
“Freedom lies in being bold.”
“I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way.”
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.”
- “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Hard Work
“The only way round is through.”
“The best way out is always through.”
“To be social is to be forgiving.”
“A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain.”
“Writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Excellence
“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”
“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”
“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.”
“The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”
“The best way out is always through.”
In conclusion, Robert Frost’s quotes on personal virtues and growth illuminate the path to understanding ourselves and our place in the world. Through his reflections on education, character, and hard work, Frost encourages us to embrace the journey of self-improvement and contribute positively to society. His wisdom, encapsulated in these quotes, remains a beacon for those seeking to navigate the complexities of personal development and societal contribution.
Robert Frost’s Quotes on Interpersonal Relations and Inner Life
Robert Frost’s exploration of interpersonal relations and inner life reflects on the depth of human emotions, the essence of meaningful connections, and the complexities of the human soul. His quotes in this section reveal the importance of love, empathy, trust, and friendship in enriching our lives and nurturing our spirits.
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Love
“Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.”
“We love the things we love for what they are.”
“There is no happiness like that of being loved by your fellow creatures, and feeling that your presence is an addition to their comfort.”
“You can be a great poet and still be wrong. Your poetry can capture the eternal truths and still you can get everything wrong.”
“The greatest thing in family life is to take a hint when a hint is intended—and not to take a hint when a hint isn’t intended.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Happiness
“Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.”
“The best way out is always through.”
“For happiness, how little suffices for happiness!… the least thing precisely, the gentlest thing, the lightest thing, a lizard’s rustling, a breath, a wisk, an eye glance—little maketh up the best happiness. Be still.”
“Nothing gold can stay.”
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Soul
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.”
“No matter how old we become, we can still call them ‘Holy Mother’ and ‘Father’ and put a childlike trust in them.”
“The heart can think of no devotion greater than being shore to the ocean—holding the curve of one position, counting an endless repetition.”
“A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body—the wishbone.”
“There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move, and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and you jump to the skies.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Empathy
“Something we were withholding made us weak until we found it was ourselves.”
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”
“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim.”
“The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get to school.”
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Trust
“A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body – the wishbone.”
“To be social is to be forgiving.”
“The middle of the road is where the white line is—and that’s the worst place to drive.”
“The only way out is always through.”
“Freedom lies in being bold.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Friendship
“A friend is a loved one who awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.”
“I am not a teacher, but an awakener.”
“My apple trees will never get across and eat the cones under his pines, I tell him. He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors’.”
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”
In conclusion, Robert Frost’s quotes on interpersonal relations and inner life dive deep into the heart of human connections, highlighting the irreplaceable value of love, empathy, trust, and friendship. His poetic insights remind us of the profound impact our relationships have on our journey through life, urging us to cherish and nurture the bonds that bring us closer to our true selves and to one another. Through Frost’s eyes, we see the beautiful intricacies of the human soul and the simple truths that bind us in our shared experiences.
Robert Frost’s Quotes on Societal Values and Governance
Robert Frost’s observations extend beyond the personal and delve into the societal, examining the values and governance structures that shape our communities. His quotes in this section reflect on society, justice, democracy, and the power dynamics that influence the world around us, offering timeless wisdom on navigating the complexities of social responsibility and leadership.
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Society
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
“The only certain freedom’s in departure.”
“They would not find me changed from him they knew—only more sure of all I thought was true.”
“Good fences make good neighbors.”
“The land was ours before we were the land’s.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Justice
“A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.”
“A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.”
“Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee, and I’ll forgive Thy great big joke on me.”
“Nothing can make injustice just but mercy.”
“The only way out is always through.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Democracy
“A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman’s birthday but never remembers her age.”
“The middle of the road is where the white line is—and that’s the worst place to drive.”
“Freedom lies in being bold.”
“Poetry is a way of taking life by the throat.”
“The best way out is always through.”
5 Best Robert Frost quotes on the Constitution
“The only certain freedom’s in departure.”
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
“Good fences make good neighbors.”
“I hold it to be the inalienable right of anybody to go to hell in his own way.”
“The middle of the road is where the white line is—and that’s the worst place to drive.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Leadership
“The best way out is always through.”
“Being the boss anywhere is lonely. Being a female boss in a world of mostly men is especially so.”
“The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”
“To be social is to be forgiving.”
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Politics
“A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.”
“The middle of the road is where the white line is—and that’s the worst place to drive.”
“Poetry is a way of taking life by the throat.”
“The only certain freedom’s in departure.”
“Freedom lies in being bold.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Government
“The only way out is always through.”
“Being the boss anywhere is lonely. Being a female boss in a world of mostly men is especially so.”
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
“Good fences make good neighbors.”
“A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Law
“A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.”
“Good fences make good neighbors.”
“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.”
“The only certain freedom’s in departure.”
“The best way out is always through.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Power
“The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.”
“Freedom lies in being bold.”
“The only way out is always through.”
“To be social is to be forgiving.”
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Community
“Good fences make good neighbors.”
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
“The best way out is always through.”
“They would not find me changed from him they knew—only more sure of all I thought was true.”
“The land was ours before we were the land’s.”
5 Best Robert Frost Quotes on Cultural Awareness
“Poetry is what gets lost in translation.”
“The best way out is always through.”
“Freedom lies in being bold.”
“The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”
“A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.”
Final Words
The legacy of Robert Frost, encapsulated in 100 quotes spanning personal virtues, interpersonal relations, societal values, and governance, offers a panoramic view of his philosophical depth and poetic brilliance. These quotes reveal Frost as not just a poet of the rural landscape, but as a profound observer of the human condition, a commentator on the intricacies of society, and a guide to navigating the complexities of life with wisdom and integrity.
Frost’s words serve as a bridge connecting personal introspection with the broader strokes of societal engagement. His reflections on character, knowledge, and virtue underscore the foundational importance of personal growth and ethical living. Meanwhile, his insights into love, empathy, and community highlight the interconnectedness of human relationships and the value of nurturing bonds that sustain the soul and enrich the collective human experience.
On the societal front, Frost’s commentary on justice, democracy, and leadership provokes a critical examination of our civic responsibilities and the role of governance in shaping a fair and equitable society. His views on cultural awareness and community engagement encourage a deeper understanding of our place within the tapestry of human history and the importance of contributing positively to the world’s unfolding narrative.
In essence, Robert Frost’s enduring appeal lies not only in the beauty of his poetry but in the timeless relevance of his thoughts. As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century, his quotes continue to inspire a sense of purpose, a call to introspection, and a commitment to societal well-being. They remind us that the journey through life, with all its trials and triumphs, is a shared experience — one that requires courage, compassion, and a steadfast belief in the possibility of a better world.
As readers, we are invited to ponder Frost’s wisdom, to find solace in his observations, and to seek guidance in his words. In doing so, we connect with the essence of what it means to be human, embracing the complexities of life with a renewed sense of hope and determination. Frost’s legacy, through his quotes, remains a beacon for those seeking to understand the depth of their own experiences and the breadth of their impact on the world around them.
