“In the case of the creative mind, it seems to me, the intellect has withdrawn its watchers from the gates, and the ideas rush in pell-mell, and only then does it review and inspect the multitude. You worthy critics, or whatever you may call yourselves, are ashamed or afraid of the momentary and passing madness which is found in all real creators, the longer or shorter duration of which distinguishes the thinking artist from the dreamer. Hence your complaints of unfruitfulness, for you reject too soon and discriminate too severely.”

“But how is the artist to protect himself against the corruption of the age which besets him on all sides?”

“Man, one may say, was never in such a completely animal condition; but he has, on the other hand, never escaped from it.”

“Curious,' the Prince continued, after a deep silence, 'is it possible never to have known something, never to have missed it in its absence -- and a few moments later to live in and for that single experience alone? Can a single moment make a man so different from himself? It would be just as impossible for me to return to the joys and wishes of yesterday morning as it would for me to return to the games of childhood, now that I have seen that object, now that her image dwells here -- and I have this living, overpowering feeling within me: from now on you can love nothing other than her, and in this world nothing else will ever have any effect on you.”

“The dignity of mankind is in your hands; protect it!It sinks with you! With you it will ascend.”

“Death is not too high a price for this—This taste of heaven—”

“Did you think the lion was sleeping because he didn't roar?”