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Quote by Matthew Arnold

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Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold

Matthew Arnold was an English poet, born on December 24, 1822, and died on April 15, 1888. His poetry is known for its profound philosophy and admiration for nature. more

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“Culture looks beyond machinery, culture hates hatred; culture has one great passion--the passion for sweetness and light. It has one even yet greater, the passion for making them all prevail. It is not satisfied till we all come to a perfect man; it knows that the sweetness and light of the few must be imperfect until the raw and unkindly masses of humanity are touched with sweetness and light.”

KnowsMenLooksLightHateHumanityCulturePassionPerfectGreaterMassHatredSatisfiedTouchedImperfectSweetnessMachineryPerfect ManGreat Passion
Book:Delphi Complete Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold (Illustrated)
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“It does not try to reach down to the level of inferior classes; it does not try to win them for this or that sect of its own, with ready-made judgments and watchwords of its own. It seeks to away with classes, to make the best that has been taught and known in the world current everywhere, to make all men live in an atmosphere of sweetness and light, where they may use ideas, as it uses them itself, freely--nourished, and not bound by them.”

MenWorldTryingMayDoeHas BeensMadeIdeasUseLightCultureWinningLevelsKnownClassTaughtReadyJudgmentBoundsCurrentsAtmosphereInferiorsSweetnessSects
Author:Matthew Arnold
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“Poetry interprets in two ways: it interprets by expressing, with magical felicity, the physiognomy and movements of the outward world; and it interprets by expressing, with inspired conviction, the ideas and laws of the inward world of man's moral and spiritual nature. In other words, poetry is interpretative both by having natural magic in it, and by having moral profundity.”

MenWorldWayTwoIdeasSpiritualLawPoetryNaturalMoralMagicMovementInspiredConvictionPoetry IsInwardTwo WaysFelicityProfunditySpiritual NaturePhysiognomy
Book:Essays in Criticism
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“The menopause is probably the least glamorous topic imaginable; and this is interesting, because it is one of the very few topics to which cling some shreds and remnants of taboo. A serious mention of menopause is usually met with uneasy silence; a sneering reference to it is usually met with relieved sniggers. Both the silence and the sniggering are pretty sure indications of taboo.”

InterestingSilenceSeriousMetsTopicsTabooGlamorousIndicationRelievedUneasyRemnantsMenopause
Book:Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places
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