Literature Quotes

Books change lives. Authors and readers reflect on the power of the written word.

12844 quotes

J
"A people's literature is the true expression of their national character."
Johann Herder
"Literature preserves the wisdom of ages past."
Moses Mendelssohn
H
"The written word preserves what the spoken word cannot hold."
Hugo Grotius
F
"The poet is the only true realist."
Friedrich Schiller
J
"The written word has more power to shape civilization than the sword or the crown."
Jean Bodin
C
"Literature preserves the wisdom that transcends the limitations of individual minds."
Christian Wolff
"Literature is the mirror in which humanity sees itself reflected."
Moses Mendelssohn
J
"A work can become immortal if it is capable of endless interpretation."
Johann Goethe
G
"Writing is the painting of the voice."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
G
"Only a great writer can make tolerable a very long book."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
C
"Literature captures the essence of human experience."
Claude Adrien Helvetius
C
"Great literature speaks across the ages."
Claude Adrien Helvetius
P
"Literature is the most beautiful of all the arts."
Paul-Henri Thiry Holbach
J
"Literature preserves the wisdom of ages for those wise enough to listen and learn."
Jean Bodin
"Literature preserves the wisdom of ages and speaks to the universal human condition."
Moses Mendelssohn
J
"The literature of mathematics is written in symbols but speaks to the soul."
Joseph-Louis Lagrange
G
"The power of words is immeasurable."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
"Literature preserves the thoughts of the ages for the contemplation of future generations."
Moses Mendelssohn
J
"Literature reflects the soul of a civilization."
Jean d'Alembert
"Language is not merely a tool for expression, but a tool for thought itself."
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac
G
"We speak of dead languages and dead masters."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
J
"Literature preserves the essence of human experience."
Jean d'Alembert
"Literature preserves the humanity of previous generations."
Moses Mendelssohn
C
"Literature preserves and transmits human wisdom from generation to generation; it is the voice of the dead to the living."
Claude Adrien Helvetius
G
"Literature is the mirror of society."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
G
"Literature preserves the human spirit."
Georges-Louis Leclerc Buffon
P
"Literature and philosophy should elevate the mind, not blind it with dogma."
Paul-Henri Thiry Holbach
J
"Literature is the voice of humanity across time."
Jean d'Alembert
J
"Literature preserves the human experience for future generations."
Jean d'Alembert
"Language is the instrument through which we organize and communicate our thoughts."
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac