There is a tide in the affairs of men, / Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Brutus uses the image in his tent near Sardis, arguing against Cassius that their army should march at once to meet Antony and Octavius at Philippi. The next lines warn that a missed tide leaves a voyage “bound in shallows and in miseries”.
All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players;
Cowards die many times before their deaths; / The valiant never taste of death but once.
Doubt thou the stars are fire; / Doubt that the sun doth move; / Doubt truth to be a liar; / But never doubt I love.
I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.
Because I could not stop for Death – / He kindly stopped for me –
The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.