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We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.

— Maya Angelou A Brave and Startling Truth (1995)

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More quotes by Maya Angelou

Develop enough courage so that you can stand up for yourself and then stand up for somebody else.

Rainbow in the Cloud: The Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou (2014)

If we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear from our souls.

A Brave and Startling Truth (1995)

You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)

There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.

The Truth in Words (2005)

At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)

All Maya Angelou quotes →

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Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind.

William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)

To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead.

Bertrand Russell Marriage and Morals (1929)

Not for the body, but for the heart; companion and company are needed.

Sanu Sharma

Love seldom haunts the breast where learning lies,
And Venus sets ere Mercury can rise.

Alexander Pope

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Maya Angelou (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.