Quotations about Literature
Using Quotations in a Speech or Text about Literature
As well as keeping your audience engaged, adding quotations to a speech or a text can significantly enhance its impact and effectiveness. Quotations are useful for explaining complex ideas concisely, much in the same way that analogies are used. Additionally, quotations from experts or celebrities can add credibility to your message.Here are some funny and poignant quotations about literature. If your speech is serious, do not automatically avoid funny quotations as they can often be the most impactful, forcing your audience into the thinking about the hidden analogous message in your selected quotation.
- "Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." (British actor Peter Ustinov)
- "When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." (Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw)
"Is Moby Dick the whale or the man?" Harold Ross (American journalist and editor, 1892-1951)
"A well-written life is almost as rare as a well-spent one." Thomas Carlyle (Scottish historian and political philosopher, 1795-1881)
"From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it." Groucho Marx (American film comedian, 1890-1977)
"A classic is a book that everyone wants to have read, but nobody wants to read." Mark Twain (American writer, 1835-1910)
"Reading a classic is like *drinking a fine wine.*riding a roller coaster.*catching a salmon.* It's expensive, takes a long time to enjoy, and makes you feel fancy and sophisticated." Anon
If you don't like a classic, blame the author. It's not your fault they wrote something *boring.*in near-Latin.*for themselves.* Anon
"I'm not sure if I enjoy reading classics, or if I just enjoy telling people that I'm reading classics." Anon
A classic is a book that has survived the test of time, but not necessarily the test of *boredom.*frustration.*fire.* Anon
"If you want to impress me, don't show me your muscles, show me your bookshelf." Anon
"I love the classics because they're like time machines. I can travel back in time and be bored just like people were centuries ago." Anon
"The difference between a classic and a bestseller is that a classic is something people keep reading, while a bestseller is something people keep buying and never read." Anon
"A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." Italo Calvino (Italian writer, 1923-1985)
"I love reading the classics because it's like solving a mystery. You have to figure out what the author meant before you can understand anything." Anon
"Classics are like old friends. You may not see them often, but when you do, it's like no time has passed." Anon
"Reading a classic is like going to the gym. It's painful at first, but the endorphins make it worth it." Anon
"The great thing about reading a classic is that even if you don't understand it, you can pretend you do and sound really smart." Anon
"What is the use of a book", thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?" Lewis Carroll (English writer and logician, 1832-98)
"If my books had been any worse, I should not have been invited to Hollywood, and if they had been any better, I should not have come." Raymond Chandler (American writer, 1888-1959)
"When I want to read a novel, I *write*buy*count from ten to* one." Benjamin Disraeli (British Tory statesman and novelist, 1804-81)
"What greater service could I have performed for German literature than that I didn't bother with it?" Frederick the Great (Prussian king, 1712-86)
"It's with *bad sentiments*a belly full of wine*a wicked imagination* that one makes good novels." Aldous Huxley (English novelist, 1894-1963)
"It takes a great deal of *history*luck*whiskey* to produce a little literature." Henry James (American novelist, 1843-1916)
"A beginning, a muddle, and an end." Philip Larkin (English poet, 1922-85) on the 'classic formula' for a novel
"Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children. Life is the other way round." David Lodge (English novelist, 1935-)
"In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others." Andre Maurois (French writer, 1885-1967)
"Nearly all our best men are dead! Carlyle, Tennyson, Browning, George Eliot! – I'm not feeling very well myself." Punch (English humorous weekly periodical, 1841-1992)
"Literature's always a good card to play for Honours. It makes people think that Cabinet ministers are educated." Arnold Bennett (English novelist, 1867-1931)
Thinking Template for a Speech or Text on Literature
Below are 3 funny themes and 3 serious themes related to literature. These have been included to help you identify areas to explore.Funny Themes:
- Literary Mishaps: Hilarious Misinterpretations and Errors
- Share amusing stories of literary mishaps, such as mispronunciations, misinterpretations of famous quotes, or funny book reviews, highlighting the humor in misunderstandings.
- Funny Literary Characters: Memorable Eccentrics and Oddballs
- Highlight some of the funniest and quirkiest characters in literature, showcasing the comedic elements and eccentricities that make them memorable.
- Book Title Puns: Clever and Amusing Wordplay
- Explore humorous book title puns and wordplay, showcasing creative and witty twists on famous literary works or genres.
Serious Themes:
- The Power of Storytelling: Literature as a Reflection of Humanity
- Discuss the profound impact of literature in reflecting human experiences, emotions, and values, and its role in shaping cultural identity and understanding.
- Literature and Society: Exploring Themes of Justice, Freedom, and Identity
- Address how literature explores and challenges societal norms, discussing themes such as justice, freedom, identity, and the human condition.
- Reading as Empathy: Developing Understanding Through Literature
- Explore how literature promotes empathy and understanding by allowing readers to step into different perspectives, cultures, and historical contexts.
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