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80 Beautiful Ocean Quotes & 4 Poems

Here are the best ocean quotes for sea lovers. If you have a longing for the sea, you can soothe it with us. These sayings about the ocean and sea will also help you to pass the time until your next beach vacation.

There is always something soothing about looking at the sea and the seemingly endless horizon. And not just on vacation. In general, the sea radiates calm, freedom, and peace.

Quotes and Sayings about the Ocean

Beautiful Ocean Quotes

The sea triggers in many of us a feeling of peace and love. Listening to the waves crash is one of the most relaxing things you can do.

There are many sayings that reflect on the calming effect of the sea. Some other sea sayings state why the sea is so endearing. No matter what kind of saying you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it here.

Beautiful Ocean Quotes

Our first list includes beautiful sayings for those who like to enjoy life on the "sandy side" by the sea. They pick up on the beautiful aspects of the sea.

  1. Life takes you down many roads, but my favorite roads lead to the sea.
    (Unknown)
  2. Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.
    (Aurelius Augustinus, Roman bishop, 354-430 A.D.)
  3. Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.
    (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, 1807-1882)
  4. The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too.
    (Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter and graphic artist, 1853-1890)
  5. I wanted freedom, open air and adventure. I found it on the sea.
    (Alain Gerbeault, French sailor, writer and tennis champion, 1893-1941)
  6. In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans.
    (Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, philosopher and painter, 1883-1931)
  7. Would you learn the secret of the sea? Only those who brave its dangers, comprehend its mystery!
    (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, 1807-1882)
  8. The ocean is everything I want to be. Beautiful, mysterious, wild and free.
    (Unknown)
  9. Limitless and immortal, the waters are the beginning and end of all things on earth.
    (Heinrich Zimmer, German indologist, 1890-1943)
  10. When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused.
    (Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian storyteller and lyricist,1875-1926)
  11. The sound of the sea is the most beautiful melody.
    (Unknown)
  12. There must be something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears and in the sea.
    (Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, philosopher and painter, 1883-1931)
  13. But where, after all, would be the poetry of the sea were there no wild waves?
    (Joshua Slocum, American seaman, 1844-1909)
  14. The sea possesses a power over one’s moods that has the effect of a will. The sea can hypnotize. Nature, in general, can do so.
    (Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian playwright and theater director, 1828-1906)

Ocean Quotes about Happiness

Happiness Quotes about the Ocean

Some people feel homesick when they are away from home for a long time.

Others have wanderlust when they haven’t traveled for a while or haven’t been to the seaside for too long.

If you belong to the latter group and your soul has wanderlust for the sea once again and you draw happiness from the ocean, the following sayings can help.

Grab a coffee, read through our sayings, unwind your soul and satisfy your longing for the sea.

  1. The sea is the place where I feel safe and happy.
    (Unknown)
  2. Happiness is an ocean full of happy moments.
    (Unknown)
  3. Sometimes you just need a little sea.
    (Unknown)
  4. So that the monotonous fall of the waves on the beach, which for the most part beat a measured and soothing tattoo to her thoughts, seemed consolingly to repeat over and over again.
    (Virginia Woolf, English writer, 1882-1941)
  5. I don’t know any person who has been to the sea and didn’t like it there.
    (Unknown)
  6. The sea addiction has driven me back to the sea.
    (Unknown)
  7. The sound and smell of the sea cleanse my soul.
    (Unknown)
  8. Eternity begins and ends with the ocean’s tides.
    (Unknown)
  9. The sea is my time out for the soul.
    (Unknown)
  10. At the beach, you take off your shoes, just like you do at home.
    (Unknown)

Short Ocean Quotes

Short Ocean Quotes

Even though the sea is infinite, there are short yet meaningful sayings about it. In our next list you can find some of them.

For example, you can write them on social networks like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok along with your vacation pictures or videos.

  1. He that will learn to pray, let him go to sea.
    (George Herbert, British poet, 1593-1633)
  2. The ocean is a mighty harmonist.
    (William Wordsworth, English poet, 1770-1850)
  3. The sea hath fish for every man.
    (William Camden, English historian, 1551-1623)
  4. The sea helps me to relax.
    (Unknown)
  5. Every day should be a beach day.
    (Unknown)
  6. Water is the driving force of all nature.
    (Leonardo da Vinci, Italian polymath and artist, 1452-1519)
  7. Home is where the anchor drops.
    (Unknown)
  8. Sea is pure magic.
    (Unknown)
  9. Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.
    (Unknown)
  10. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
    (Franklin D. Roosevelt, American president, 1882-1945)

If you’re looking for more short quotes, check out this article.

Quotes for Everyone Who Loves the Ocean

Quotes for Everyone Who Loves the Ocean

There is not only something magical about the sea, but also many qualities that you can fall in love with.

Do you share this opinion and are an absolute sea lover? Then you can express your love for the sea with the following sayings.

  1. The beach is not always a place, sometimes it is a feeling.
    (Unknown)
  2. Nothing soothes the soul like a day at the seaside!
    (Unknown)
  3. Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.
    (Robert Henri, American painter and teacher, 1865-1929)
  4. My soul is full of longing for the secrets of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.
    (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, 1807-1882)
  5. Ocean is more ancient than the mountains and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time.
    (H. P. Lovecraft, American writer, 1890-1937)
  6. We love the sea because it heals us.
    (Unknown)
  7. I have lost my heart to the sea.
    (Unknown)
  8. Sun, beach and open sea, heart what more do you want?
    (Unknown)
  9. Happiness has three letters: Sea.
    (Unknown)
  10. Favorite moment: see the beach, walk past the sea and feel the water on your feet.
    (Unknown)

Funny Quotes about the Ocean

Funny Quotes about the Sea

The beach, sea and sand have a calming effect, but there are also many funny quotes about the ocean. You can find the funniest ones in the following list.

The following sayings have an unknown author.

  1. If you see the ocean in your rearview mirror, you’re driving in the wrong direction.
  2. Everyone is good at something. I, for example, am good at sitting by the sea.
  3. Why does the sea live so far away from me?
  4. I’d rather swim in the sea than drown in work.
  5. The beach is cheaper than therapy.
  6. A cloudy day at the beach is still a day at the beach.
  7. Talk to the sand.
  8. I miss being on a beach vacation and never knowing what day of the week it is.
  9. I’m done adulting. Let’s be mermaids!
  10. Eat. Beach. Sleep. Repeat.

Inspirational Ocean and Sea Quotes

Inspirational Ocean Quotes

Are the sun, beach, sand and sea part of a perfect vacation for you and you get inspired when looking at the water?

If your vacation always includes going to the sea and you love to enjoy your life by the ocean, we have the perfect inspirational sayings for you.

  1. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.
    (Mahatma Gandhi, Indian revolutionary, 1869-1948)
  2. The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble.
    (Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, 1623-1662)
  3. The whisper of the wind, the sound of the sea give you the happiness of just existing.
    (Unknown)
  4. To me, the sea is a continual miracle; The fishes that swim-the rocks-the motion of the waves-the ships, with men in them, What stranger miracles are there?
    (Walt Whitman, American poet, 1819-1892)
  5. Vacations by the sea are not only the most beautiful, but also the most soothing.
    (Unknown)
  6. A hard day at the sea is better than a single one at work.
    (Unknown)
  7. We dream in colors borrowed from the sea.
    (Unknown)
  8. A vacation day by the sea can cure any illness better than any doctor.
    (Unknown)
  9. Vacation by the sea is the art of doing nothing without being bored.
    (Unknown)
  10. You can never cross the ocean until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.
    (Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer and navigator, 1451-1506)

Meaningful Quotes about the Ocean and the Sea

Wisdom about the Ocean

There are also many wise quotes about the sea or wisdom about life in which the sea plays a role. They are to be understood as a guide to life and give good advice.

Some sayings are also simply beautiful and, as a result, good for the soul.

  1. The progress of rivers to the ocean is not so rapid as that of man to error.
    (Voltaire, French writer, 1694-1778)
  2. On life’s vast ocean diversely we sail. Reasons the card, but passion the gale.
    (Alexander Pope, English poet, 1688-1744)
  3. When you’re thirsty and it seems that you could drink the entire ocean, that’s faith; when you start to drink and finish only a glass or two, that’s science.
    (Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Russian dramatist, 1860-1904)
  4. You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
    (Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet, 1861-1941)
  5. If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
    (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, French writer and pilot, 1900-1944)
  6. They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.
    (Sir Francis Bacon, English philosopher, 1561-1626)
  7. The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.
    (Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter and graphic artist, 1853-1890)
  8. Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.
    (Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, 365 B.C.-290 B.C.)
  9. I believe in the ocean curing all bad moods. I believe in the waves wiping away worries. I believe in seashells bringing good luck. I believe in toes in the sand grounding my soul.
    (Unknown)
  10. Follow the river and you will find the sea.
    (French Proverb)
  11. Advice from the Ocean: Be shore of yourself. Come out of your shell. Take time to coast. Avoid pier pressure. Sea life’s beauty. Don’t get so tide down on work that you miss out on life’s beautiful waves.
    (Unknown)
  12. Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.
    (Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher, 1803-1882)
  13. The sea appears all golden. Beneath the sun-lit sky.
    (Heinrich Heine, German poet, 1797-1856)
  14. Life is as inexorable as the sea.
    (Thomas Wentworth Higginson, American Unitarian minister and author, 1823-1911)
  15. Sometimes in the waves of change we find our true direction.
    (Unknown)
  16. Friends, sun, sand and sea. That sounds like a summer to me.
    (Unknown)

Poems about the Sea

Poems about the Sea

In our last section you will find four beautiful poems about the sea. If you like it a bit more poetic, you can also use them to get in the mood for the beach and the sea.

1)

Dover Beach

The sea is calm tonight.
The tide is full, the moon lies fair
Upon the straits; on the French coast the light
Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,
Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.

Come to the window, sweet is the night-air!
Only, from the long line of spray
Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land,
Listen! you hear the grating roar
Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling,
At their return, up the high strand,
Begin, and cease, and then again begin,
With tremulous cadence slow, and bring
The eternal note of sadness in.

Sophocles long ago
Heard it on the Ægean, and it brought
Into his mind the turbid ebb and flow
Of human misery; we
Find also in the sound a thought,
Hearing it by this distant northern sea.

The Sea of Faith
Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore
Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.
But now I only hear
Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,
Retreating, to the breath
Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear
And naked shingles of the world.

Ah, love, let us be true
To one another! for the world, which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams,
So various, so beautiful, so new,
Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,
Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;
And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.

(Matthew Arnold, English poet, 1822-1888)

2) 

Song Of The Sea

Timeless sea breezes,
sea-wind of the night:
you come for no one;
if someone should wake,
he must be prepared
how to survive you.

Timeless sea breezes,
that for aeons have
blown ancient rocks,
you are purest space
coming from afar…

Oh, how a fruit-bearing
fig tree feels your coming
high up in the moonlight.

(Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian storyteller and lyricist,1875-1926)

3)

As if the Sea should part

As if the Sea should part
And show a further Sea —
And that — a further — and the Three
But a presumption be —

Of Periods of Seas —
Unvisited of Shores —
Themselves the Verge of Seas to be —
Eternity — is Those —

(Emily Dickinson, American poet, 1830-1886)

4)

Sail Away

Early in the day it was whispered that we should sail in a boat,
only thou and I, and never a soul in the world would know of this our
pilgrimage to no country and to no end.

In that shoreless ocean,
at thy silently listening smile my songs would swell in melodies,
free as waves, free from all bondage of words.

Is the time not come yet?
Are there works still to do?
Lo, the evening has come down upon the shore
and in the fading light the seabirds come flying to their nests.

Who knows when the chains will be off,
and the boat, like the last glimmer of sunset,
vanish into the night?

(Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet, 1861-1941)

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