Who really said it
The words open line 141 of Tennyson’s Locksley Hall. Coolidge’s quotation of the poet does not make him the phrase’s author.
Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?
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Disputed credit — copy with the correction
“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers” — Alfred Lord Tennyson, “Locksley Hall” (1842), opening of line 141; quoted later by Calvin Coolidge. · Verbatim: “Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers, and I linger on the shore,”
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In context
Evoking the world of Alfred Lord Tennyson — English poet. Theme: "Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Provenance
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers, and I linger on the shore,
Read the checked sourceHow we verified this
The English poem was first published in 1842, before the 1931 U.S. cutoff. The quoted original English line is public domain in the United States.
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Fact-check
The sentence is a poetic fragment that Coolidge quoted, not an original Coolidge maxim.
The popular credit needs the qualification explained above. Checked evidence ↗
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The entry identifies Coolidge as quoting Tennyson.
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For writers & researchers
Tennyson, Alfred. “Locksley Hall.” Poems (1842), line 141. Text compared with the sourced Wikiquote transcription.
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/knowledge-comes-but-wisdom-lingers/