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So I shan’t ever marry, for there aren’t such men. And Heaven help any one whom I do marry, for I shall certainly run away from him before you can say ‘Jack Robinson.

E. M. Forster

A poem is true if it hangs together. Information points to something else. A poem points to nothing but itself.
E. M. FORSTER

Else Hang Information Itself Nothing Poem Point Something Together True
One always tends to overpraise a long book, because one has got through it.
E. M. FORSTER

Always Book Got Long One Overpraise Tend Though
… there are shadows because there are hills.
E. M. FORSTER

Hill Shadow
I believe we shall come to care about people less and less, Helen. The more people one knows, the easier it becomes to replace them. It’s one of the curses of London. I quite expect to end my life caring most for a place.
E. M. FORSTER

Become Believe Come Country Easier Less More People Person replace Shall
My conviction gains infinitely the moment another soul will believe in it.
E. M. FORSTER

Another Believe Conviction Gain Infinitely Moment Soul
Works of art, in my opinion, are the only objects in the material universe to possess internal order, and that is why, though I don’t believe that only art matters, I do believe in Art for Art’s sake.
E. M. FORSTER

Art Believe Internal Material Object Only Opinion Order Posses Universe Work
Do not be proud of your inconsistency. It is a pity, it is a pity that we should be equipped like this. It is a pity that Man cannot be at the same time impressive and truthful.
E. M. FORSTER

Equipped Impressive Inconsistency Pity Proud Same
It is easy to sympathize at a distance,’ said an old gentleman with a beard. ‘I value more the kind word that is spoken close to my ear.
E. M. FORSTER

Beard Distance Ear Gentlemen Kind More Old Say Spoken Sympathize Value
Life is sometimes life and sometimes only a drama, and one must learn to distinguish t’other from which . . .
E. M. FORSTER

Distinguish Drama Learn Life Something
The sort of poetry I seek only resides in objects Man can’t touch – like England ‘s grass network of lanes 100 years ago, but today he can destroy them and only Lord Farrer keeps him from doing it.
E. M. FORSTER

Ago Country Destroy Grass Hundred Lane Man Network Object Poetry Reason Seek Sort Them Today Touch Year
I have only got down on to paper, really, three types of people: the person I think I am, the people who irritate me, and the people I’d like to be.
E. M. FORSTER

Down Irritate Like Paper People Person Think Three Type
Don’t begin with proportion. Only prigs do that. Let proportion come in as a last resource, when the better things have failed.
E. M. FORSTER

Better Come Fail Last Proportion Resource Thing
It isn’t possible to love and part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal.
E. M. FORSTER

Art Ignore Love Muddle never Oull Out Possible Transmute
At night, when the curtains are drawn and the fire flickers, my books attain a collective dignity.
E. M. FORSTER

Attain Book Collective Curtain Dignity Drawn Ficker Fire Night
It isn’t possible to love and to part.
E. M. FORSTER

Love Part Possible
Love is a great force in private life; it is indeed the greatest of all things; but love in public affairs does not work.
E. M. FORSTER

Affair Force Great Greatest Indeed Love Private Public Thing Work

So I shan’t ever marry, for there aren’t such men. And Heaven help any one whom I do marry, for I shall certainly run away from him before you can say ‘Jack Robinson.

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So I shan’t ever marry, for there aren’t such men. And Heaven help any one whom I do marry, for I shall certainly run away from him before you can say ‘Jack Robinson.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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