--- title: "4 Finest Quotes By James Russell Lowell" description: "4 Finest quotes by James Russell Lowell. Plus more from James Russell Lowell and more Finest sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/james-russell-lowell-561_doe_no-man-can-produce-great-things-who-is-n_224355.jpg" --- > [No man can produce great things who is not thoroughly sincere in dealing with himself, who would not exchange the finest show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/no-man-can-produce-great-things-who-is-not-thoroughly-sincere-in/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/james-russell-lowell-561_doe_no-man-can-produce-great-things-who-is-n_224355.jpg) > [Reading enables us to see with the keenest eyes, to hear with the finest ears, and listen to the sweetest voices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/reading-enables-us-to-see-with-the-keenest-eyes-to-hear-with-the/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/james-russell-lowell-561_all-time_reading-enables-us-to-see-with-the-keene_1518919.png) > [A friendship counting nearly forty years is the finest kind of shade-tree I know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/a-friendship-counting-nearly-forty-years-is-the-finest-kind-of-shade/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/james-russell-lowell-561_40th-birthday_a-friendship-counting-nearly-forty-years_1930918.png) > [Have you ever rightly considered what the mere ability to read means? That it is the key which admits us to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/have-you-ever-rightly-considered-what-the-mere-ability-to-read-means/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e6/james-russell-lowell-561_ability_have-you-ever-rightly-considered-what-th_2295666.jpg) ## Other authors on Finest ## More by James Russell Lowell > [We kind o' thought Christ went agin war an' pillage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/we-kind-o-thought-christ-went-agin-war-an-pillage/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [He gives only the worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/he-gives-only-the-worthless-gold-who-gives-from-a-sense-of-duty/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [As life runs on, the road grows strange with faces new - and near the end. The milestones into headstones change, Neath every one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/as-life-runs-on-the-road-grows-strange-with-faces-new-and-near-the/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Where one person shapes their life by precept and example, there are a thousand who have shaped it by impulse and circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/where-one-person-shapes-their-life-by-precept-and-example-there-are-a/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Granting our wish is one of Fate's saddest jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/granting-our-wish-is-one-of-fate-s-saddest-jokes/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Most religion-mongers have bated their paradises with a bit of toasted cheese. They have tempted the body with large promises of possessions in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/most-religion-mongers-have-bated-their-paradises-with-a-bit-of/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [The thing we long for, that we are For one transcendent moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/the-thing-we-long-for-that-we-are-for-one-transcendent-moment/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [O reputation! dearer far than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/o-reputation-dearer-far-than-life/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Keats longed for fame, but longed above all to deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/keats-longed-for-fame-but-longed-above-all-to-deserve-it/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [It is beginning to be doubtful whether Parliament and Congress sit in Westminster and Washington, or in the editorial rooms of the leading journals,--so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/it-is-beginning-to-be-doubtful-whether-parliament-and-congress-sit-in/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [ \[B\]ut in literature, it should be remembered, a thing always becomes his at last who says it best, and thus makes it his own. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/b-ut-in-literature-it-should-be-remembered-a-thing-always-becomes-his/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [It may be glorious to write Thoughts that shall glad the two or three High souls, like those far stars that come in sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/it-may-be-glorious-to-write-thoughts-that-shall-glad-the-two-or-three/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [It is the vain endeavor to make ourselves what we are not that has strewn history with so many broken purposes and lives left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/it-is-the-vain-endeavor-to-make-ourselves-what-we-are-not-that-has/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [Take winter as you find him, and he turns out to be a thoroughly honest fellow; with no nonsense in him, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/take-winter-as-you-find-him-and-he-turns-out-to-be-a-thoroughly/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) > [The intellect has only one failing, which, to be sure, is a very considerable one. It has no conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/the-intellect-has-only-one-failing-which-to-be-sure-is-a-very/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finest/james-russell-lowell/#itemlist", "name": "4 Finest Quotes By James Russell Lowell", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No man can produce great things who is not thoroughly sincere in dealing with himself, who would not exchange the finest show for the poorest reality, who does not so love his work that he is not only glad to give himself for it, but finds rather a gain than a sacrifice in the surrender.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Russell Lowell" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/no-man-can-produce-great-things-who-is-not-thoroughly-sincere-in/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/james-russell-lowell-561_doe_no-man-can-produce-great-things-who-is-n_224355.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/james-russell-lowell-561_doe_no-man-can-produce-great-things-who-is-n_224355.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/james-russell-lowell-561_doe_no-man-can-produce-great-things-who-is-n_224355.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No man can produce great things who is not thoroughly sincere in dealing with himself, who would not…” — James Russell Lowell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Reading enables us to see with the keenest eyes, to hear with the finest ears, and listen to the sweetest voices of all time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Russell Lowell" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/reading-enables-us-to-see-with-the-keenest-eyes-to-hear-with-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/james-russell-lowell-561_all-time_reading-enables-us-to-see-with-the-keene_1518919.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/james-russell-lowell-561_all-time_reading-enables-us-to-see-with-the-keene_1518919.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/james-russell-lowell-561_all-time_reading-enables-us-to-see-with-the-keene_1518919.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Reading enables us to see with the keenest eyes, to hear with the finest ears, and listen to the sweetest…” — James Russell Lowell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A friendship counting nearly forty years is the finest kind of shade-tree I know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Russell Lowell" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/a-friendship-counting-nearly-forty-years-is-the-finest-kind-of-shade/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/james-russell-lowell-561_40th-birthday_a-friendship-counting-nearly-forty-years_1930918.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/james-russell-lowell-561_40th-birthday_a-friendship-counting-nearly-forty-years_1930918.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc4/james-russell-lowell-561_40th-birthday_a-friendship-counting-nearly-forty-years_1930918.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A friendship counting nearly forty years is the finest kind of shade-tree I know.” — James Russell Lowell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Have you ever rightly considered what the mere ability to read means? 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