Literature Quotes

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

12844 quotes

M
"The stage is a mirror held up to society."
Molière
M
"The beauty of language lies in its ability to express the inexpressible."
Molière
P
"Literature allows us to live a thousand lives without leaving our chair."
Pierre Corneille
A
"Poetry is the capture of moments that refuse to be captured."
Arthur Rimbaud
A
"Literature reveals what life conceals."
Arthur Rimbaud
A
"Literature is the space where strangers become familiar."
Arthur Rimbaud
P
"Words are like birds—once released, they fly beyond our reach."
Paul Verlaine
P
"The poet sees what others merely look at."
Paul Verlaine
P
"Literature is the conversation between souls across time."
Paul Verlaine
P
"Literature preserves the best thoughts of humanity"
Pierre Corneille
J
"Language is the mirror of the soul."
Jean Racine
"The greatest poetic power consists in knowing when to refrain from speech."
Charles Baudelaire
"Poetry is a mysterious chemistry of the soul."
Charles Baudelaire
"The greatest poetry is born from the greatest suffering."
Charles Baudelaire
S
"The flesh is sad, alas, and I have read all the books."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"The world exists to be put into a book."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"To speak is to betray; to write is to preserve."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"Language is a labyrinth where every path leads inward."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"To understand poetry, one must first understand absence."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"The poet writes not to be understood but to illuminate understanding."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"The reader completes what the writer merely suggests."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"The book is humanity's greatest invention because it transcends time."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"The greatest poems are those we carry but never fully comprehend."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"Words are the debris of thought crystallized into form."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"To write is to engage in eternal dialogue with the dead."
Stéphane Mallarmé
S
"The book is the soul made visible and portable."
Stéphane Mallarmé
P
"In poetry, we find the truest expression of the human experience."
Paul Verlaine
M
"Literature mirrors the human condition in all its complexity."
Molière
A
"The true alchemists are those who transform the world through their words."
Arthur Rimbaud
A
"The pen is mightier than any weapon or crown."
Arthur Rimbaud