--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise…" description: "\"Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise, He who defers this work from day to day, Does on a river's bank expecting stay, Till the whole stream, which st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/abraham-cowley-7641_being-wise_begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he_2741309.png" --- # Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise, He who defers this… ![“Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise, He who defers this work from day to day, Does on a river's bank expecting stay, Till the whole stream, which stopped him, should be gone, That runs, and as it runs, for ever will run on.” quote by Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/abraham-cowley-7641_being-wise_begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he_2741309.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/abraham-cowley-7641_being-wise_begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he_2741309.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/abraham-cowley-7641_being-wise_begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he_2741309.png) > “Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise, He who defers this work from day to day, Does on a river's bank expecting stay, Till the whole stream, which stopped him, should be gone, That runs, and as it runs, for ever will run on.” [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Procrastination delays action; time flows regardless, so act now. **In simple terms:** Delay wastes time; act before it passes. Key Takeaway Act promptly, avoid postponement. Themes procrastination time action Mood motivational urgent Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal goals - project deadlines - health habits - null Key Concepts impermanence urgency Questions to Reflect On - What tasks are you postponing? - How can you start today? A Different Perspective Some tasks need careful planning, not haste. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) [Day to day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-to-day/) [Defers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defers-3029198/) [Defers Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defers-work-3029197/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Expecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expecting/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [River Bank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/river-bank-3029196/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Streams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streams/) [Till Stream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/till-stream-3029199/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Venture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/venture/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wise Defers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-defers-3029195/) ## Related quotes > [He that defers his charity until he is dead is, if a man weighs it rightly, rather liberal of another man's goods than his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon-sr/he-that-defers-his-charity-until-he-is-dead-is-if-a-man-weighs-it/) [Francis Bacon Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon-sr/) > [“Man can no more see the world than a fish can see the river bank.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remy-de-gourmont/man-can-no-more-see-the-world-than-a-fish-can-see-the-river-bank/) [Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remy-de-gourmont/) > [The fish only knows that it lives in the water, after it is already on the river bank. Without our awareness of another world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-fish-only-knows-that-it-lives-in-the-water-after-it-is-already-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ah! gay the day with shine of sun, and bright the breeze, and blithe the throng Met on the River-bank to play, when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-richard-francis-burton/ah-gay-the-day-with-shine-of-sun-and-bright-the-breeze-and-blithe-the/) [Sir Richard Francis Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-richard-francis-burton/) > [“from RIVER My body is filled with sand. The heavy grains flow from my eyes and seek somewhere to fall. Speak to me friends.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-woodman/from-river-my-body-is-filled-with-sand-the-heavy-grains-flow-from-my/) [Jay Woodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-woodman/) > [From the river to the bank lock dung. Them nuh know which part mi turn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mavado/from-the-river-to-the-bank-lock-dung-them-nuh-know-which-part-mi-turn/) [Mavado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mavado/) > [“He walks toward the river, placing his feet carefully. His suit is too warm and tight. He reaches the water’s edge. There is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/he-walks-toward-the-river-placing-his-feet-carefully-his-suit-is-too/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [“No. no I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just wondering why you called him June Bug. That’s all.” “That’s what everyone calls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-l-thompson/no-no-i-didn-t-mean-anything-by-it-i-was-just-wondering-why-you/) [Paul L. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-l-thompson/) > [I can sit on a boat or a river bank and problems that seemed insurmountable just don't seem that important anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/i-can-sit-on-a-boat-or-a-river-bank-and-problems-that-seemed/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [I feel I want to be wise with white hair in a tall library in a deep chair by a fireplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-corso/i-feel-i-want-to-be-wise-with-white-hair-in-a-tall-library-in-a-deep/) [Gregory Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-corso/) > [Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, And pause awhile from letters, to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/deign-on-the-passing-world-to-turn-thine-eyes-and-pause-awhile-from/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [To be wise was to be above joy and sorrow, fear and pity, ambition and humiliation. It was to hate nothing and to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/to-be-wise-was-to-be-above-joy-and-sorrow-fear-and-pity-ambition-and/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [To be smart, spend carefully. To be wise, save regularly. To be genius, give extravagantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-ingram/to-be-smart-spend-carefully-to-be-wise-save-regularly-to-be-genius/) [Chip Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-ingram/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Abraham Cowley > [All the world's bravery that delights our eyes is but thy several liveries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/all-the-world-s-bravery-that-delights-our-eyes-is-but-thy-several/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [The liberty of a people consists in being governed by laws which they have made themselves, under whatsoever form it be of government; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/the-liberty-of-a-people-consists-in-being-governed-by-laws-which-they/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [The monster London laugh at me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/the-monster-london-laugh-at-me/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [His time's forever, everywhere his place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/his-time-s-forever-everywhere-his-place/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [I confess I love littleness almost in all things. A little convenient estate, a little cheerful house, a little company, and a little feast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/i-confess-i-love-littleness-almost-in-all-things-a-little-convenient/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [The Sunflow'r, thinking 'twas for him foul shame To nap by daylight, strove t' excuse the blame; It was not sleep that made him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/the-sunflow-r-thinking-twas-for-him-foul-shame-to-nap-by-daylight/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Nothing is to come, and nothing past: But an eternal now, does always last.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/nothing-is-to-come-and-nothing-past-but-an-eternal-now-does-always/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [We may talk what we please," he cries in his enthusiasm for the oldest of the arts, "of lilies, and lions rampant, and spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/we-may-talk-what-we-please-he-cries-in-his-enthusiasm-for-the-oldest/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Solitude can be used well by very few people. They who do must have a knowledge of the world to see the foolishness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/solitude-can-be-used-well-by-very-few-people-they-who-do-must-have-a/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Stones of small worth may lie unseen by day, But night itself does the rich gem betray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/stones-of-small-worth-may-lie-unseen-by-day-but-night-itself-does-the/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Gold begets in brethren hate; Gold in families debate; Gold does friendship separate; Gold does civil wars create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/gold-begets-in-brethren-hate-gold-in-families-debate-gold-does/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Poets by Death are conquer'd but the wit Of poets triumphs over it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/poets-by-death-are-conquer-d-but-the-wit-of-poets-triumphs-over-it/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [s a scene of changes, and to be constant in Nature were inconstancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/s-a-scene-of-changes-and-to-be-constant-in-nature-were-inconstancy/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [May I a small house and large garden have; And a few friends, And many books, both true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/may-i-a-small-house-and-large-garden-have-and-a-few-friends-and-many/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) > [Sleep is a god too proud to wait in palaces, and yet so humble too as not to scorn the meanest country cottages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/sleep-is-a-god-too-proud-to-wait-in-palaces-and-yet-so-humble-too-as/) [Abraham Cowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) [Explore all 88 Abraham Cowley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/) ## More Being wise quotes > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [To be smart, spend carefully. To be wise, save regularly. To be genius, give extravagantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-ingram/to-be-smart-spend-carefully-to-be-wise-save-regularly-to-be-genius/) [Chip Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-ingram/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [To be wise was to be above joy and sorrow, fear and pity, ambition and humiliation. It was to hate nothing and to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/to-be-wise-was-to-be-above-joy-and-sorrow-fear-and-pity-ambition-and/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [Deign on the passing world to turn thine eyes, And pause awhile from letters, to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/deign-on-the-passing-world-to-turn-thine-eyes-and-pause-awhile-from/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [I feel I want to be wise with white hair in a tall library in a deep chair by a fireplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-corso/i-feel-i-want-to-be-wise-with-white-hair-in-a-tall-library-in-a-deep/) [Gregory Corso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-corso/) > [Were anyone wondering how Sen. Harry Reid intended to manage life in the minority, it took one day of the 114th Congress to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-strassel/were-anyone-wondering-how-sen-harry-reid-intended-to-manage-life-in/) [Kimberley Strassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-strassel/) > [If we are going to be wise, spiritual people prepared to meet the crises of our age, we must be a studying, learning community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-moreland/if-we-are-going-to-be-wise-spiritual-people-prepared-to-meet-the/) [J.P. Moreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-moreland/) > [Literature provides us with experiences it would not be wise or possible to introduce into our own world and thus enlarges our understanding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-rosenblatt/literature-provides-us-with-experiences-it-would-not-be-wise-or/) [Louise Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-rosenblatt/) > [Learned we may be with another man's learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/learned-we-may-be-with-another-man-s-learning-we-can-only-be-wise/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [None of the modes by which a magistrate is appointed, popular election, the accident of the lot, or the accident of birth, affords, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/none-of-the-modes-by-which-a-magistrate-is-appointed-popular-election/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [The goal of a passionate artist is to try and make a masterpiece each and every time, yet be wise enough to know you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donato-giancola/the-goal-of-a-passionate-artist-is-to-try-and-make-a-masterpiece-each/) [Donato Giancola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donato-giancola/) > [License they mean when they cry Liberty; For who loves that, must first be wise and good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/license-they-mean-when-they-cry-liberty-for-who-loves-that-must-first/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [It almost seems as though this roiling world is conspiring to test our patience at every turn. In fact, it is. With this in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-almost-seems-as-though-this-roiling-world-is-conspiring-to-test/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's always better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-always-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) [Browse all 310 Being wise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-wise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise, He who defers this work from day to day, Does on a river's bank expecting stay, Till the whole stream, which stopped him, should be gone, That runs, and as it runs, for ever will run on.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Abraham Cowley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he-who-defers-this-work-from-day/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being wise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he-who-defers-this-work-from-day/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/abraham-cowley-7641_being-wise_begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he_2741309.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/abraham-cowley-7641_being-wise_begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he_2741309.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b47/abraham-cowley-7641_being-wise_begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he_2741309.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise, He who defers this work from day to day, Does on a river's bank…” — Abraham Cowley", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Abraham Cowley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-cowley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Begin, be bold, and venture to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he-who-defers-this-work-from-day/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-cowley/begin-be-bold-and-venture-to-be-wise-he-who-defers-this-work-from-day/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```