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Quote by O. Henry

Author

O. Henry
O. Henry

O. Henry, born William Sydney Porter, was a renowned American short story writer known for his unexpected twists and humorous style. His works, characterized by surprise endings and wit, are celebrated as a cornerstone of American short story literature. O. Henry was born in North Carolina and had a tumultuous life, working in various jobs including a cotton plantation laborer and a silver mine worker in Mexico. He was imprisoned for fraud and it was during his time in jail that he began writing, publishing numerous short stories. His stories covered a wide range of themes, including love, friendship, family, and social issues. more

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“Obstinate are the trammels, but my heart aches when I try to break them. Freedom is all I want, but to hope for it I feel ashamed. I am certain that priceless wealth is in thee, and that thou art my best friend, but I have not the heart to sweep away the tinsel that fills my room. The shroud that covers me is a shroud of dust and death; I hate it, yet hug it in love. My debts are large, my failures great, my shame secret and heavy; yet when I come to ask for my good, I quake in fear lest my prayer be granted.”

“Not as the plants and flowers of Earth, growing peacefully beneath a simple sun, were the blossoms of the planet Lophai. Coiling and uncoiling in double dawns; tossing tumultuously under vast suns of jade green and balas-ruby orange; swaying and weltering in rich twilights, in aurora-curtained nights, they resembled fields of rooted serpents that dance eternally to an other-worldly music.”

“We fear death, we shudder at life's instability, we grieve to see the flowers wilt again and again, and the leaves fall, and in our hearts we know that we, too, are transitory and will soon disappear. When artists create pictures and thinkers search for laws and formulate thoughts, it is in order to salvage something from the great dance of death, to make something last longer than we do.”