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What but the wolf's tooth whittled so fine
The fleet limbs of the antelope?
What but fear winged the birds, and hunger
Jewelled with such eyes the great goshawk’s head?
Violence has been the sire of all the world's values.

— Robinson Jeffers

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More quotes by Robinson Jeffers

I have seen these ways of God: I know of no reason
For fire and change and torture and the old returnings.

Corruption never has been compulsory; when the cities lie at the monster's feet there are left the mountains.

At least Love your eyes that can see, your mind that can
Hear the music, the thunder of the wings. Love the wild swan.

Love the Wild Swan (1935)

Know that however ugly the parts appear
the whole remains beautiful.

The Answer (1936)

Reason will not decide at last; the sword will decide.
The sword: an obsolete instrument of bronze or steel,
formerly used to kill men, but here
In the sense of a symbol.

Contemplation of The Sword (1938)

All Robinson Jeffers quotes →

Attribution

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