“If you have a message for the world, nothing and nobody can prevent you from delivering it.”

A strong affirmation of persistence in communicating an important idea · A Woman of the World

• Courage
• Purpose
• Writing

“Remember that when you write from the heart, it will go to the hearts of your readers: and when you write from your head it will go no lower than the head.”

Her memorable distinction between emotional sincerity and purely intellectual writing · A Woman of the World

• Readers
• Sincerity
• Writing

“Nothing quite the same was ever in any heart before, and yet the greater part of it has been in all hearts, and will be in all hearts, so long as the world lasts.”

Capturing the paradox of individual experience and universal human feeling · A Woman of the World

• Humanity
• Originality
• Writing

“Proceed, my young friend, and write what is in your heart.”

A direct encouragement to young writers to trust their own material · A Woman of the World

• Courage
• Creativity
• Writing

“Why should any mortal say to the poet or the author, 'Do not try to write—it has all been said before.”

Defending the writer's right to revisit enduring subjects in a new voice · A Woman of the World

• Creativity
• Originality
• Writing

“There is nothing new under the sun, but there is always the new audience.”

A defence of creating new work from familiar themes for new generations · A Woman of the World

• Originality
• Readers
• Writing

“I do not imagine I have talent save the talent for work. I have always found expression with the pen an easy mode of communicating my impressions and ideas.”

A modest account of talent that places particular value on work and expression · A Woman of the World, quoted letter

• Expression
• Work
• Writing

“Unless you write with purpose, and power, and passionate enjoyment of your art, forgetful of all things save your desire to express yourself, no influence on earth can do more than give you a page.”

Arguing that genuine artistic commitment matters more than literary influence or connections · A Woman of the World, advice to a young writer

• Creativity
• Purpose
• Writing

“Regarding the style you speak of adopting, let your feeling come first, your style of expressing that feeling second. Say nothing merely to exhibit your style.”

Her preference for sincere feeling and substance over stylistic display · A Woman of the World, advice to a young writer

• Expression
• Sincerity
• Writing

“It is impossible to pursue a successful literary career and follow the advice of all one's best friends. I feel compelled to follow the light which my own intellect and judgement cast upon my way.”

A spirited defence of artistic independence and trusting one's own judgement · Preface, Poems of Passion (1883)

• Independence
• Judgement
• Writing

“It is brief, but it has taken a long time.”

On the rigorous craft and time required to distill thoughts into minimal verse · Letters and biographical accounts, c. 1914

• Craft
• Time
• Writing

“When I feel, I do not write. I keep in my brain, as in a mysterious book, the impressions that have left their mark upon it.”

Original: Cuando siento no escribo. Guardo, sí, en mi cerebro escritas, como en un libro misterioso, las impresiones que han dejado en él su huella al pasar. — Bécquer describes creation as an act of recollection in which experience is allowed to settle before becoming art. · Letter II, Cartas literarias a una mujer (Spanish)

• Inspiration
• Memory
• Writing

“If belief is enough to persuade, I feel what I write.”

Original: Si para persuadir basta creer, yo siento lo que escribo. — For Bécquer, genuine conviction gives writing its persuasive force. · Letter IV, Cartas literarias a una mujer (Spanish)

• Faith
• Feeling
• Writing

“My pen has become unsteady; I am sad, but what can one do.”

Original: Pióro rozkołysało się, smutno mi, ale co robić!.. — A spontaneous glimpse of emotion breaking through the act of writing. · Letter to his mother concerning Ludwika, 1830s (Polish)

• Emotion
• Sadness
• Writing

“I have this moment when, almost in despair, I throw myself at the paper, wanting to cast handfuls of my soul upon people and transform them into myself.”

Original: a mam tę chwilę, że niby z jakąś rozpaczą rzucam się do papieru, chcąc garściami duszę moją rzucać na ludzi, przemieniać ich w siebie — Writing becomes an almost physical act of pouring the self into other people. · Letter to his mother, 28 November 1843 (Polish)

• Creation
• Expression
• Writing

“I send this book to you, because you first directed me to this design.”

A brief expression of gratitude to the relative whose encouragement helped initiate the project. · Dedication to John Marsham, The History of Philosophy, 1655

• Gratitude
• Influence
• Writing

“Our scope being of a greater latitude, affords less opportunity of those excursions, which, in his narrow bounds, are not only allowable, but necessary.”

A revealing statement about the constraints imposed by the breadth of his historical project. · Dedicatory epistle, The History of Philosophy, 1655

• Scholarship
• Scope
• Writing

“The learned Gassendus was my precedent; whom nevertheless I have not followed in his partiality, for he, though limited to a single person, yet giveth himself liberty of enlargement.”

Stanley acknowledges his intellectual debt while stressing his intention to pursue a broader historical scope. · Dedicatory epistle, The History of Philosophy, 1655

• Influence
• Scholarship
• Writing

“I believe that, if I live, I shall do my best literary work when I am a grandfather.”

An optimistic belief that age and family experience would deepen his literary powers. · Auto-Analysis

• Age
• Hope
• Writing

“Why, well, I was going jingling along with some new verses in my heart, and I knew I'd lose the tempo if I became militant.”

Suggests that the creative impulse could matter more to him in the moment than confrontation or conflict. · Recollection of conversation, as reported by Slason Thompson

• Creativity
• Humour
• Writing

“I should be in the mood to return home at once were it not for a sense that being here I should further improve the opportunity to gather material that may be of value to me in my work.”

Shows how he turned travel and observation into material for future writing. · Letter to Mr. Cowen, 13 November 1889

• Observation
• Travel
• Writing

“I expect to do better work now than ever before.”

A striking expression of creative optimism late in his life. · Letter to Mr. Gray, 14 May 1895

• Achievement
• Hope
• Writing

“I am ambitious to write tales about the folk of those particular points.”

Shows his curiosity about unfamiliar cultures and his desire to turn travel into literary material. · Letter to Mr. Cowen, 13 November 1889

• Curiosity
• Travel
• Writing

“The English speaking people of both continents will read it if it is written by a master. It will make no difference.”

Expressing confidence that genuinely accomplished writing can transcend racial and national boundaries. · Essay, The Negro as a Writer

• Achievement
• Readers
• Writing