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Quote by Agnes Repplier

“Innovations to which we are not committed are illuminating things.”

Quote by Agnes Repplier

Book:American Austen: The Forgotten Writing of Agnes Repplier

Work

American Austen: The Forgotten Writing of Agnes Repplier

This book delves into the lesser-known writings of Agnes Repplier, a 19th-century American essayist and critic, focusing on her analysis of Jane Austen's novels and their impact on American literary traditions. more

Author

Agnes Repplier was an American essayist born on April 1, 1855, and died on November 15, 1950. Her works are renowned for their profound thoughts and unique style, which have had a profound impact on American literature in the 20th century. more

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“the most comfortable characteristic of the period [1775-1825], and the one which incites our deepest envy, is the universal willingness to accept a good purpose as a substitute for good work.”

Purpose Accepting Periods Comfortable Universal Envy Characteristics Willingness Substitutes Good Work

Author:Agnes Repplier

“There is nothing in the world so incomprehensible as the joke we do not see.”

Book:Under dispute

Source: Under dispute

“to be civilized is to be incapable of giving unnecessary offense, it is to have some quality of consideration for all who cross our path.”

Giving Quality Kindness Path Crosses Consideration Civilized Unnecessary Incapable Offense Politeness

Book:Americans and Others

Source: Americans and Others

“Erudition, like a bloodhound, is a charming thing when held firmly in leash, but it is not so attractive when turned loose upon a defenseless and unerudite public.”

Knowledge Learning Attractive Charming Defenseless Leashes Erudition Bloodhounds

Book:Points of View

Source: Points of View

“An appreciation of words is so rare that everybody naturally thinks he possesses it, and this universal sentiment results in the misuse of a material whose beauty enriches the loving student beyond the dreams of avarice.”

Thinking Dream Language Results Students Materials Universal Appreciation Sentiments Avarice Misuse

Book:Essays in Idleness

Source: Essays in Idleness

“Laughter springs from the lawless part of our nature, and is purifying only in so far as there is a natural and unschooled goodness in the human heart.”

Humans Heart Natural Goodness Spring Laughter Human Heart Purifying

Book:In Pursuit of Laughter ...

Source: In Pursuit of Laughter ...

“Just as we are often moved to merriment for no other reason than that the occasion calls for seriousness, so we are correspondingly serious when invited too freely to be amused.”

Reason Serious Laughter Moved Occasions Invited Seriousness Amused Merriment

Book:Under dispute

Source: Under dispute

“The sanguine assurance that men and nations can be legislated into goodness, that pressure from without is equivalent to a moral change within, needs a strong backing of inexperience.”

Men Needs Law Strong Nations Moral Goodness Pressure Assurance Inexperience Sanguine

Book:American Austen: The Forgotten Writing of Agnes Repplier

Source: American Austen: The Forgotten Writing of Agnes Repplier

“Why do so many ingenious theorists give fresh reasons every year for the decline of letter writing, and why do they assume, in derision of suffering humanity, that it has declined? They lament the lack of leisure, the lack of sentiment ... They talk of telegrams, and telephones, and postal cards, as if any discovery of science, any device of civilization, could eradicate from the human heart that passion for self-expression which is the impelling force of letters.”

“[Mary Wortley Montagu] wrote more letters, with fewer punctuation marks, than any Englishwoman of her day; and her nephew, the fourth Baron Rokeby, nearly blinded himself in deciphering the two volumes of undated correspondence which were printed in 1810. Two more followed in 1813, after which the gallant Baron either died at his post or was smitten with despair; for sixty-eight cases of letters lay undisturbed ... 'Les morts n'écrivent point,' said Madame de Maintenon hopefully; but of what benefit is this inactivity, when we still continue to receive their letters?”