Arthur Quiller-Couch Quotes

Powerful Arthur Quiller-Couch for Daily Growth

About Arthur Quiller-Couch

Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, popularly known as Q or Quiller, was a British novelist, literary critic, and academic, born on February 19, 1863, in Truro, Cornwall, England. He is renowned for his significant contributions to English literature, particularly the short story genre and university education. Quiller-Couch's formative years were spent in Truro, where he was educated at a local grammar school. His love for literature blossomed under the influence of his father, a rector who nurtured his son's intellectual curiosity. Quiller-Couch later studied at Exeter College, Oxford, and graduated with honors in 1886. His literary career took off when he was appointed to the English department at Cambridge University, where he remained for over four decades. During this time, he published several novels, including "The Smaragdine Table" (1890), "The Oracle of the Dead" (1896), and "The Prodigal Professor" (1904). However, it was his short story collections that truly cemented his reputation. The most famous of these is "The Ozma of Oz" (1907) in collaboration with L. Frank Baum, author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Quiller-Couch's most enduring contribution to literature is his anthology "The Oxford Book of English Verse" (1900), which he edited alongside William Morris and Algernon Charles Swinburne. This work brought together the finest examples of English poetry, shaping the curriculum in schools and universities for generations to come. In 1920, Quiller-Couch was appointed King Edward VII Professor of English Literature at Cambridge, a position he held until his retirement in 1931. He died on April 24, 1944, leaving behind a rich literary legacy that continues to inspire and influence modern writers.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."

This quote by Arthur Quiller-Couch underscores the idea that life, particularly personal growth and learning, is an ongoing process without a definitive end point. We are all learners, continually honing our skills and expanding our knowledge across various aspects of life. No matter how proficient we become in any given field, there's always room for improvement, discovery, and new challenges to tackle – thus, we remain apprentices throughout our lives. This perspective encourages humility, curiosity, and a dedication to lifelong learning.

"Write to be understood, edit to be clear."

This quote emphasizes the importance of both communication and clarity in writing. It suggests that writers should aim for their work to be easily understandable to their audience, and then strive for clarity by editing their work to ensure it is as straightforward and easy to follow as possible. Essentially, Quiller-Couch encourages writers to prioritize readability over complexity, making their writing accessible and engaging to the reader.

"The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe."

Arthur Quiller-Couch's quote suggests that the process of writing reveals our deeply held beliefs, values, and perspectives. In other words, as we craft and shape our written works, we are forced to confront our personal convictions, which can lead us to a deeper understanding of ourselves. Writing acts not only as a medium for communication but also serves as an introspective tool, helping us clarify and articulate our beliefs.

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

This quote by Arthur Quiller-Couch encourages us to embrace opportunities and not fear the unknown. It suggests that when we encounter choices or decisions in life, rather than sticking to what's familiar, we should seize each possibility that presents itself. Taking the road less traveled can lead to new experiences, growth, and ultimately, a richer, more fulfilling life.

"The shortest answer is doing."

This quote emphasizes the value of action over words or thought. Essentially, it suggests that the most effective way to achieve something, learn something, or understand something, is through actually doing it. The implication is that we should stop talking about what we want to do or learn, and just start doing it.

The real tragedy of the Library at Alexandria was not that the incendiaries burned immensely, but that they had neither the leisure nor the taste to discriminate.

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

Taste, Had, Alexandria, Immensely

Will you tell me, 'Oh, painting is a special art, whereas anyone can write prose passably well'? Can he, indeed? ... Can you, sir? Nay, believe me, you are either an archangel or a very bourgeois gentleman indeed if you admit to having spoken English prose all your life without knowing it.

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

Believe, Tell, Very, Indeed

If you here require a practical rule of me, I will present you with this: 'Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it - whole-heartedly - and delete it before sending your manuscript to press.'

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

Here, Rule, Before, Manuscript

Portraits of other great ones look down on you in your college halls; but while you are young and sit at the brief feast, what avails their serene gaze if it do not lift up your hearts and movingly persuade you to match your manhood to its inheritance?

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

College, Young, Other, Great Ones

Against Knowledge I have, as the light cynic observed of a certain lady's past, only one serious objection - that there is so much of it.

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

Light, Past, Against, Observed

By all means, let us study the great writers of the past for their own sakes, but let us study them for our guidance: that we, in our turn, having (it is to be hoped) something to say in our span of time, say it worthily, not dwindling out the large utterance of Shakespeare or of Burke.

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

Study, Own, Hoped, Span

If you crave for Knowledge, the banquet of Knowledge grows and groans on the board until the finer appetite sickens.

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

Finer, Grows, Crave, Board

The whole business of reading English Literature in two years, to know it in any reputable sense of the word - let alone your learning to write English - is, in short, impossible.

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

Business, Impossible, Whole, English Literature

The more clearly you write, the more easily and surely you will be understood.

- Arthur Quiller-Couch

Will, More, Easily, Surely

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