Thomas Carlyle Quotes About Writing

Quotes about: Writing

• The best effect of any book is that it excites the reader to self activity.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Book, Reading, Writing

• Oblivion is the dark page, whereon Memory writes her light-beam characters, and makes them legible; were it all light, nothing could be read there, any more than if it were all darkness.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Memories, Writing, Character

  Thomas Carlyle, Chris Vanden Bossche (2002). “Historical Essays”, p.20, Univ of California Press

• Writing is a dreadful labor, yet not so dreadful as Idleness.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Writing, Labor, Idleness

  Thomas Carlyle, G. B. Tennyson (1984). “Carlyle Reader”, p.16, CUP Archive

• He who would write heroic poems should make his whole life a heroic poem.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Life, Writing, Heroic

  Thomas Carlyle (1857). “Life of Friedrich Schiller (1825): Life of John Sterling (1851)”, p.37

• There is a great discovery still to be made in literature, that of paying literary men by the quantity they do not write.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Writing, Men, Discovery

  John Stuart Mill, Thomas Carlyle (2010). “Autobiography of J.S. Mill & on Liberty; Characteristics, Inaugural Address at Edinburgh & Sir Walter Scott”, p.413, Cosimo, Inc.

• In every man's writings, the character of the writer must lie recorded.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Lying, Writing, Character

  Thomas Carlyle (1872). “Works”, p.212

• O thou who art able to write a Book, which once in the two centuries or oftener there is a man gifted to do, envy not him whom they name City-builder, and inexpressibly pity him whom they name Conqueror or City-burner! Thou too art a Conqueror and Victor; but of the true sort, namely over the Devil: thou too hast built what will outlast all marble and metal, and be a wonder-bringing City of the Mind, a Temple and Seminary and Prophetic Mount, whereto all kindreds of the Earth will pilgrim.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Art, Book, Writing

  Thomas Carlyle, Rodger L. Tarr, Mark Engel (2000). “Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh in Three Books”, p.129, Univ of California Press

• O thou who art able to write a book which once in the two centuries or oftener there is a man gifted to do, envy not him whom they name city-builder, and inexpressibly pity him whom they name conqueror or city-burner.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Art, Book, Writing

  Thomas Carlyle, Rodger L. Tarr, Mark Engel (2000). “Sartor Resartus: The Life and Opinions of Herr Teufelsdröckh in Three Books”, p.129, Univ of California Press

• Considering the multitude of mortals that handle the pen in these days, and can mostly spell, and write without glaring violations of grammar, the question naturally arises: How is it, then, that no work proceeds from them, bearing any stamp of authenticity and permanence; of worth for more than one day?

  Thomas Carlyle

  Writing, One Day, Authenticity

  Thomas Carlyle (1872). “Works”, p.63

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