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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

Only a writer who has the sense of evil can make goodness readable.
E. M. FORSTER

Evil Makem Goodness Readable Sense Writer
I believe in teaching people to be individuals, and to understand other individuals.
E. M. FORSTER

Believe Individual People Teach Understand
Money pads the edges of things.
E. M. FORSTER

Edge Money Pad Thing
Human relations are impossible. When they are real they are uncomfortable, and when they are comfortable they are unreal. It was for the journey into solitude that the human soul was created.
E. M. FORSTER

Human Impossible Ral Relation Uncomfortable Unreal
The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot.
E. M. FORSTER

Died Grief Kind Plot Queen Story
I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave.
E. M. FORSTER

Brave Coward Hurtbrave People Rather
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
She had been so wicked that in all her life she had done only one good deed-given an onion to a beggar. So she went to hell. As she lay in torment she saw the onion, lowered down from heaven by an angel. She caught hold of it. He began to pull her up.
E. M. FORSTER

Been Beggar Dep Done Given Good Hell Lofe Onion Went Wick
It was pleasant to wake up in Florence, to open the eyes upon a bright bare room, with a floor of red tiles which look clean though they are not; with a painted ceiling whereon pink griffins and blue amorini sport in a forest of yellow violins and bassoons.
E. M. FORSTER

Barem Toom Bright Clean Country Floor Paint People Person Pleasant Tile Wake
The people I respect most behave as if they were immortal and as if society was eternal.
E. M. FORSTER

Behave Eternal Immortal Most People Respect Society
But the body is deeper than the soul and its secrets inscrutable.
E. M. FORSTER

Body Deeper Inscrutable Secret Soul
One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life.
E. M. FORSTER

Fond Life Make Mess Must One People Trust
I won’t be protected. I will choose for myself what is ladylike and right. To shield me is an insult.
E. M. FORSTER

Choose Insult Lady Myself Protect Right Shield
One grows accustomed to being praised, or being blamed, or being advised, but it is unusual to be understood.
E. M. FORSTER

Accustomed Advice Being Blame Grow One Praise Understand Unusual
The emotions may be endless. The more we express them, the more we may have to express.
E. M. FORSTER

Emotion Endless Express May More Way
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
Life is a public performance on the violin, in which you must learn the instrument as you go along.
E. M. FORSTER

Go Instrument Learn Life Long Must Performance Public Violin
Books have to be read it is the only way of discovering what they contain.
E. M. FORSTER

Book Contain Discover Only Read Way
Science is better than sympathy, if only it is science.
E. M. FORSTER

Better Only Science Sympathy
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
We cast a shadow on something wherever we stand, and it is no good moving from place to place to save things; because the shadow always follows. Choose a place where you won’t do harm – yes, choose a place where you won’t do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine.
E. M. FORSTER

Cast Follow Good Move Place Save Shadow Something Stand Thing
Death destroys a man, but the idea of death saves him.
E. M. FORSTER

Death Destroy Idea Man Save
The kingdom of music is not the kingdom of this world; it will accept those whom breeding and intellect and culture have alike rejected.
E. M. FORSTER

Accept Alike Breed Culture Intelect Kingdom Music Reject
You confuse what’s important with what’s impressive.
E. M. FORSTER

Confuse Important Impressive
Faith, to my mind, is a stiffening process, a sort of mental starch, which ought to be applied as sparingly as possible. I dislike the stuff. I do not believe in it, for its own sake, at all… My lawgivers are Erasmus and Montaigne, not Moses and St Paul.
E. M. FORSTER

Apply Faith Mental Mind Ought Possible Process Sort Starch Stiffening Straight
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 moments when the inner life actually ‘pays,’ when years of self-scrutiny, conducted for no ulterior motive, are suddenly of practical use.
E. M. FORSTER

Actual Conduct Inner Life Moment Motive Pay Scrutiny Self Suddenly Use Year

Don’t begin with proportion. Only prigs do that. Let proportion come in as a last resource, when the better things have failed.

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Don’t begin with proportion. Only prigs do that. Let proportion come in as a last resource, when the better things have failed.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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