Don Marquis Quotes

Powerful Don Marquis for Daily Growth

About Don Marquis

Don Marquis (September 2, 1878 – January 18, 1937) was an American journalist, humorist, poet, and playwright, best known for his works "Archy and Mehitabel" and "The Old Man." Born in Syracuse, New York, Marquis spent much of his childhood in upstate New York. He attended Syracuse University but dropped out after two years to pursue a career in journalism. In 1903, he moved to New York City and began working for the New York Evening Sun, where he stayed until his retirement in 1932. It was during this time that Marquis developed his most famous characters, Archy the cockroach and Mehitabel the alley cat, through a series of newspaper columns entitled "The Shim-Sham Club." These stories, originally written as humor fillers for the paper, were later collected into several volumes, including "Archy and Mehitabel: The Complete Stories" (1946). Marquis's work was heavily influenced by the modernist movement in literature. His humorous takes on life, death, and the human condition reflected the absurdist themes popular during his time. Archy, for instance, is a cockroach who discovers he can write poetry when he accidentally taps on a manual typewriter. Through Archy's perspective, Marquis explored complex philosophical questions in a witty and entertaining manner. In addition to the Archy and Mehitabel series, Marquis wrote several other plays and poems. His first play, "The Old Man," premiered on Broadway in 1927 and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Throughout his career, Marquis received numerous accolades and awards for his work, cementing his place as one of America's most beloved humorists. Despite his success, Marquis remained humble and continued to write until his untimely death in 1937 at the age of 58.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"An aristocrat is one who thinks he's better than Caesar but not as good as money."

This quote by Don Marquis suggests that an "aristocrat" believes they are superior to historical figures like Julius Caesar, yet do not possess the wealth or financial power equivalent to money. In essence, aristocrats hold themselves in high regard but lack the material wealth to back up their claimed status.


"One day a man came to me and said, 'I used to go fishing every weekend, but now I've taken up golf.' I asked him why. He said, 'Because fish have become so scarce.' I said, 'But don't you think there are more fish in the sea than there are balls in a golf course?'"

This quote by Don Marquis highlights the idea of human behavior adaptation to their environment. The man's decision to switch from fishing to golf signifies a change in response to the scarcity of fish, despite the vastness of the sea compared to the limited number of golf balls on a course. It suggests that humans may adapt to challenges or changes by adopting alternative behaviors, even if the resources for the original behavior remain abundant elsewhere. In this case, the man traded a more natural and potentially fulfilling activity (fishing) for one that is more artificial and less resource-dependent (golf), reflecting a shift in priorities and adaptability in the face of perceived scarcity.


"The only time a woman really succeeds in changing a man is when he is a baby."

This quote suggests that a woman's influence over a man primarily occurs during his most formative years (infancy), as it is during this period that a person develops fundamental beliefs, values, and behaviors. The implication is that once a man reaches adulthood, he is less susceptible to significant change by another individual, particularly a woman. However, it's important to note that everyone is unique, and people can evolve and change throughout their lives with various influences, not just in their early years.


"Nobody ever outgrows books. People simply stop reading them, for the most part."

This quote suggests that as individuals mature or advance in life, they may not necessarily lose their appreciation or affinity for literature. Instead, it is a common occurrence that many people cease to read books, not because they are no longer interested or capable of understanding them, but often due to other distractions or commitments. The implication is that maintaining a love for reading and knowledge acquisition should ideally be a lifelong pursuit.


"To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer."

This quote highlights the idea that while mistakes are inherent in human nature, computers have the ability to create more significant and widespread issues due to their complexity and the scale at which they operate. In simpler terms, it suggests that humans may make errors, but computers can exacerbate those mistakes on a much larger scale.


Happiness is the interval between periods of unhappiness.

- Don Marquis

Happiness, Periods, Interval, Unhappiness

Writing a book of poetry is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.

- Don Marquis

Book, Waiting, Like, Dropping

By the time a bartender knows what drink a man will have before he orders, there is little else about him worth knowing.

- Don Marquis

Will, Before, By The Time, Bartender

Ideas pull the trigger, but instinct loads the gun.

- Don Marquis

Business, Gun, Pull, Trigger

Punctuality is one of the cardinal business virtues: always insist on it in your subordinates.

- Don Marquis

Business, Always, Virtues, Insist

Some persons are likeable in spite of their unswerving integrity.

- Don Marquis

Integrity, Some, Persons, Likeable

Successful people are the ones who think up things for the rest of the world to keep busy at.

- Don Marquis

People, Rest, Think, Successful People

Prohibition makes you want to cry into your beer and denies you the beer to cry into.

- Don Marquis

Cry, Want, Makes, Prohibition

Pity the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

- Don Marquis

Nature, Earth, Shall, Inherit

Publishing a volume of verse is like dropping a rose petal down the Grand Canyon and waiting for the echo.

- Don Marquis

Waiting, Poetry, Like, Verse

The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race.

- Don Marquis

Progress, Race, Chief, Obstacle

Man cannot be uplifted; he must be seduced into virtue.

- Don Marquis

Cannot, Must, Seduced, Uplifted

It takes all sorts of people to make the underworld.

- Don Marquis

People, Takes, Make, Underworld

Of middle age the best that can be said is that a middle-aged person has likely learned how to have a little fun in spite of his troubles.

- Don Marquis

Middle, Likely, Learned, Middle-Aged

Did you ever notice that when a politician does get an idea he usually gets it all wrong.

- Don Marquis

Politician, Idea, Gets, Notice

The art of newspaper paragraphing is to stroke a platitude until it purrs like an epigram.

- Don Marquis

Art, Newspaper, Like, Epigram

Every cloud has its silver lining but it is sometimes a little difficult to get it to the mint.

- Don Marquis

Funny, Cloud, Lining, Mint

A pessimist is a person who has had to listen to too many optimists.

- Don Marquis

Funny, Person, Too, Optimists

Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in old clothes.

- Don Marquis

Delusion, Liars, Surrounded, Entirely

We pay for the mistakes of our ancestors, and it seems only fair that they should leave us the money to pay with.

- Don Marquis

Money, Leave, Only, Ancestors

I have often noticed that ancestors never boast of the descendants who boast of ancestors. I would rather start a family than finish one. Blood will tell, but often it tells too much.

- Don Marquis

Will, Rather, Noticed, Ancestors

Bores bore each other too; but it never seems to teach them anything.

- Don Marquis

Never, Other, Too, Bores

Middle age is the time when a man is always thinking that in a week or two he will feel as good as ever.

- Don Marquis

Age, Middle, Always, Middle Age

A hypocrite is a person who - but who isn't?

- Don Marquis

Person, Who, Hypocrite

In all systems of theology the devil figures as a male person. Yes, it is women who keep the church going.

- Don Marquis

Yes, Going, Figures, Theology

Poetry is what Milton saw when he went blind.

- Don Marquis

Blind, He, Saw, Milton

A sequel is an admission that you've been reduced to imitating yourself.

- Don Marquis

Yourself, Been, Reduced, Admission

An idea isn't responsible for the people who believe in it.

- Don Marquis

Funny, Idea, Responsible, For The People

If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that's read by persons who move their lips when they're reading to themselves.

- Don Marquis

Want, Move, Read, Lips

There is luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves, we feel no one else has a right to blame us.

- Don Marquis

Blame, Feel, Else, Luxury

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