16 Quotes & Sayings By Edmond Rostand

Edmond Rostand was born in 1897 in Dijon, France. He was educated at the Jesuit Collège de France and then at the École Libre des Sciences Politiques. Rostand served in the French military during World War I, reaching the rank of captain. His first play, L'Aiglon, was produced in 1923 Read more

Although he spent most of his life in Paris, he lived for periods of time in the United States (where he made his home with his second wife, Edna St. Vincent Millay) and Italy (where he worked on his dramatic trilogy L'Aiglon's father). He died in 1953 in Paris.

A great nose may be an index Of a great...
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A great nose may be an index Of a great soul Edmond Rostand
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I carry my adornments on my soul. I do not dress up like a popinjay; But inwardly, I keep my daintiness. I do not bear with me, by any chance, An insult not yet washed away- a conscience Yellow with unpurged bile- an honor frayed To rags, a set of scruples badly worn. I go caparisoned in gems unseen, Trailing white plumes of freedom, garlanded With my good name- no figure of a man, But a soul clothed in shining armor, hung With deeds for decorations, twirling- thus- A bristling wit, and swinging at my side Courage, and on the stones of this old town Making the sharp truth ring, like golden spurs!. Edmond Rostand
Your neck. I want to kiss it.
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Your neck. I want to kiss it. Edmond Rostand
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Cyrano: The leaves--- Roxane: What color--- Perfect Venetian red! Look at them fall. Cyrano: Yes---they know how to die. A little way From the branch to the earth, a little fear Of mingling with the common dust---and yet They go down gracefully---a fall that seems Like flying! Edmond Rostand
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...But...to sing, to dream, to smile, to walk, to be alone, be free, with a voice that stirs and an eye that still can see! To cock your hat to one side, when you pleaseat a yes, a no, to fight, or- make poetry! To work without a thought of fame or fortune, on that journey, that you dream of, to the moon! Never to write a line that's not your own... Edmond Rostand
Proclaim your pride and bitterness loudly to the world, but...
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Proclaim your pride and bitterness loudly to the world, but to me speak softly, and tell me simply that she doesn't love you. Edmond Rostand
My heart always timidly hides itself behind my mind. I...
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My heart always timidly hides itself behind my mind. I set out to bring down stars from the sky, then, for fear of ridicule, I stop and pick little flowers of eloquence. Edmond Rostand
Watching other people making friends, everywhere, as a dog makes...
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Watching other people making friends, everywhere, as a dog makes friends. I mark the manner of these canine courtesies and think, here comes, thank Heaven, another enemy! Edmond Rostand
My soul, be satisfied with flowers, With fruit, with weeds...
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My soul, be satisfied with flowers, With fruit, with weeds even; but gather them In the one garden you may call your own. Edmond Rostand
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I know that in the end you'll overwhelm me, but I'll still fight you as long as there's a breath in my body.. Yes, you've robbed me of everything: the laurels of glory, the roses of love! But there's one thing you can't take away from me. When I go to meet God this evening, and doff my hat before the lofty gates, my salute will sweep the blue threshold of heaven, because I'll still have one thing intact, without a stain, something that I'll take with me in spite of you: My white plume. Edmond Rostand
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I have a different idea of elegance. I don't dress like a fop, it's true, but my moral grooming is impeccable. I never appear in public with a soiled conscience, a tarnished honor, threadbare scruples, or an insult that I haven't washed away. I'm always immaculately clean, adorned with independence and frankness. I may not cut a stylish figure, but I hold my soul erect. I wear my deeds as ribbons, my wit is sharper then the finest mustache, and when I walk among men I make truths ring like spurs. Edmond Rostand
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A kiss is a secret which takes the lips for the ear. Edmond Rostand
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A kiss, when all is told, what is it? An oath taken a little closer, a promise more exact. A wish that longs to be confirmed, a rosy circle drawn around the verb 'to love'. A kiss is a secret which takes the lips for the ear, a moment of infinity humming like a bee, a communion tasting of flowers, a way of breathing in a little of the heart and tasting a little of the soul with the edge of the lips! . Edmond Rostand
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A kiss! When all is said, what is a kiss? An oath of allegiance taken in closer proximity, a promise more precise, a seal on a confession, a rose-red dot upon the letter i in loving; a secret which elects the mouth for ear; an instant of eternity murmuring like a bee; balmy communion with a flavor of flowers; a fashion of inhaling each other's hearts, and of tasting, on the brink of the lips, each other's soul! . Edmond Rostand
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The dream, alone, is of interest. What is life, without a dream? Edmond Rostand