Literature and Words

Begin with an individual and you find that you have created a type; begin with a type and you find that you have created—nothing.

All men begin their learning with Homer.

There is some pleasure even in words, when they bring forgetfulness of present miseries.

Speech is the mirror of action.

The poets are only the interpreters of the gods.

Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.

In words are seen the state of mind and character and disposition of the speaker.

Twice and thrice over, as they say, good is it to repeat and review what is good.

Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.

Great deeds give choice of many tales. Choose a slight tale, enrich it large, and then let wise men listen.

The sword the body wounds, sharp words the mind.

It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world.

It is Homer who has chiefly taught other poets the art of telling lies skillfully

Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history, since its statements are rather of the nature of universals, whereas those of history are singulars.

High thoughts must have high language.

Experience is an author's most valuable asset; experience is the thing that puts the muscle and the breath and the warm blood into the book he writes .

The frankest and freest and privatest product of the human mind and heart is a love letter.

In literature imitations do not imitate.

All generalizations are false, including this one.

A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.

Advertisements contain the only truths to be relied on in a newspaper.

An author values a compliment even when it comes from a source of doubtful competency.

Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.

It is my belief that nearly any invented quotation, played with confidence, stands a good chance to deceive .