Who said “The good are so harsh to the clever, the clever so rude to the good!”?

Verified

Elizabeth Wordsworth. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"Good and Clever" (25 February 1890), sts. 1, 2, in St. Christopher, and Other Poems (1890), p. 138

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "Good and Clever" (25 February 1890), sts. 1, 2, in St. Christopher, and Other Poems (1890), p. 138.

APA

Wordsworth, E. (n.d.). The good are so harsh to the clever, the clever so rude to the good! [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/22741-the-good-are-so-harsh-to-the-clever/

MLA

Wordsworth, Elizabeth. “The good are so harsh to the clever, the clever so rude to the good!” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/22741-the-good-are-so-harsh-to-the-clever/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Wordsworth, Elizabeth. “The good are so harsh to the clever, the clever so rude to the good!” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/22741-the-good-are-so-harsh-to-the-clever/.

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