Who said “Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there…”?

Disputed

It's credited to Henry Van Dyke, but no reliable source from their lifetime has been found.

What the research foundNo reliable early source found for Henry Van Dyke.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Authors A–Z
“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.”
— Henry Van Dyke
DisputedNo reliable early source found for Henry Van Dyke. · evidenceTalent

Cite this quote

APA

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” [Quotation attributed to Henry Van Dyke]. (n.d.). Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/39096-use-what-talents-you-possess-the-woods-would/

MLA

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” Attributed to Henry Van Dyke. Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/39096-use-what-talents-you-possess-the-woods-would/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

“Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” Attributed to Henry Van Dyke. Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/39096-use-what-talents-you-possess-the-woods-would/.

Related quotes

“It takes little talent to see clearly what lies under one's nose, a good deal of it to know in which direction to point that organ.”
— W. H. Auden
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“That's just why, because talent isn't genius, and no amount of energy can make it so. I want to be great, or nothing. I won't be a common-place dauber, so I don't intend to try any more.”
— Louisa May Alcott
VerifiedLittle Women (1868) · evidenceDetails & citeTalent

More quotes by Henry Van Dyke

“Look around for a place to sow a few seeds.”
Giving
“A peace that depends on fear is nothing but a suppressed war.”
Peace
“Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live.”
Death and Dying
“Culture is the habit of being pleased with the best and knowing why.”
Culture
“There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament.”
Charm
“Be glad of life because it gives you a chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at stars.”
Life and Living
All 17 Henry Van Dyke quotes →