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William Dean Howells Quotes

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William Dean Howells was a prominent American author, literary critic, and editor in the 19th century. His works, which encompassed novels, criticism, and essays, had a profound impact on American literature.

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All Doe Editha Heart Mgg Stills William Dean Howells Knows Men Art Brexit Ifs Literature World Accepting Baffled Benevolence Betrayed Book Born Civilization

Famous William Dean Howells Quotes

“Lord, for the erring thoughtNot into evil wrought:Lord, for the wicked willBetrayed and baffled still:For the heart from itself kept,Our thanksgiving accept.”

Heart Stills Evil Accepting Lord Wicked Thanksgiving Baffled Erring

Author:William Dean Howells

“n artistic atmosphere does not create artists a literary atmosphere does not create literators; poets and painters spring up where there was never a verse made or a picture seen. This suggests that God is no more idle now than He was at the beginning, but that He is still and forever shaping the human chaos into the instruments and means of beauty.”

Humans Mean Doe Made Stills Artist Forever Poet Spring Instruments Chaos Painter Artistic Atmosphere Verses Idle

Author:William Dean Howells

“Lord, for the erring thought Not unto evil wrought: Lord, for the wicked will Betrayed, and baffled still: For the heart from itself kept, Our thanksgiving accept. For ignorant hopes that were Broken to our blind prayer: For pain, death, sorrow, sent Unto our chastisement: For all loss of seeming good, Quicken our gratitude.”

Source: Delphi Complete Works of William Dean Howells (Illustrated)

“It's a curious thing, this thing we call civilization...we think it is an affair of epochs, and nations. It's really an affair of individuals. One brother will be civilized and the other a barbarian...All civilization comes through literature now, especially in our country. A Greek got his civilization by talking and looking, and in some measure a Parisian may still do it. But we, who live remote from history and monuments, we must read or we must barbarise.”

Thinking May Stills Country Literature Individual Nations Talking Brother Civilization Affair Our Country Curious Greek Civilized Monument Barbarians

Author:William Dean Howells

“It is the still, small voice that the soul heeds, not the deafening blasts of doom.”

Stills Soul Voice Fate Doom Blast Heed Small Voice

Book:The March Family Trilogy

Source: The March Family Trilogy