Best Voltaire Poems
The critic Voltaire
Had plenty to share
Endowed with acerbic satire
He played to the audience with fire.
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A famous person or celebrity contest
Hosted by Tania Kitchin
Placed 4th
Voltaire lived in the early 1700’s…he was born in Paris, France….
His words still have meaning today…if we’d give them half a chance.
If we had the opportunity…to talk to the famous Voltaire
I imagine the first word out of his mouth…would be a word of warning…
Beware
Beware of your world leaders he might say…
they are not all compassionate and wise…
‘If you want to know who controls you…
look to those you’re not allowed to criticize’.
Beware of those who say how wise they are…
for there is usually insecurity behind it…
‘Cherish those who seek the truth,’ he’d say,
‘but beware of those who find it.’
Beware of all the nonsense being spoken…
all the madness being tweeted.
‘Stupidity can appear as wisdom,’ he’d warn,
‘the more often it’s repeated’.
He might say beware of those who are filled with arrogance
with self-worship and pomposity
For ‘Those who can make you believe absurdities
can make you commit atrocities’.
If he saw how easy it is for us to kill each other’s spouses,
their daughters and their sons…
‘Beware of fools with power,’ he’d instruct,
‘beware of fools with guns’.
If he looked at the way we treat those in need, he’d say
Beware! We need to change our point of view…
‘For everyone is guilty
of all the good they do not do.’
Yes, I wonder if Voltaire was still here…
if he was around today
would we conveniently dismiss his words…
or listen to what he had to say?
These are translations of Voltaire, one of the world's most prolific, best and most influential writers. Voltaire, born François-Marie Arouet (1694-1778), was an amazingly prolific writer who produced works in nearly every literary genre, including poems, plays, novels and novellas, satires, parodies, essays, histories, Bible criticism, and even early science fiction!
TRANSLATIONS OF VOLTAIRE EPIGRAMS AND QUOTES
Once fanaticism has gangrened brains
the incurable malady invariably remains.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Love is a canvas created by nature
and completed by imagination.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
If God did not create us, it was necessary for us to create him.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
My only prayer to God was, “Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.” And he granted it.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
God is a jester performing for an audience too frightened to laugh.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Doubt is an undesirable condition, but preferable to ludicrous certainty.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Faith is believing what reason cannot countenance.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
?Life is a shipwreck, yet we must sing in the lifeboats.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Every man is a product of his age and few are able to rise above its misconceptions.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Judge a man by his doubts rather than his certainties.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
The secret of being a bore is to reveal everything.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Common sense is uncommon.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Once fanaticism has gangrened brains the malady is usually incurable.
—Voltaire, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
Keywords/Tags: Voltaire, France, French, English translation, you, Phyllis, youth, young, crush, love, lost love, kiss, time, write, writing, words, poems, poetry
Common
Quote by Voltaire
To be common is to be normal,
It’s to have the sense to keep your mouth shut
And your smile wide.
To smile is not to smile
For your showing your pearly white teeth
Your actual soul is nowhere to be found,
Is it so abnormal to have a sharp tongue?
To smile with actual joy?
That’s the thing about being common,
It’s no fun at all
Date: 2/1/22
A witty saying proves nothing,
Especially in a generation that
Doesn’t tend to be so loving
To one another because of the
Love of money.
So much pushing and shoving.
Illusion is the first of all pleasures.
We constantly dream of personal
Satisfaction, especially when we don’t
Have ourselves together.
A selfish mind has sex with
A woman, then wakes up the next
Morning just to realize that it never
Met her.
I just want to see the day where
I can hold my head up high and
Keep my life together.
My life is a struggle.
I find myself having to juggle
With emotions that are so confused
That they want to snuggle.
The ear is the avenue
To the heart
And the power of the words
Can tame it or tear it apart.
It’s not enough to conquer,
One must learn to seduce.
Seduction is a sexual tactic
Used to daze and confuse.
The masters of it simply
Recycle the same words
To reduce and reuse a-
Forget it.