black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

At night, when the curtains are drawn and the fire flickers, my books attain a collective dignity.

E. M. Forster

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
Most of life is so dull that there is nothing to be said about it, and the books and talks that would describe it as interesting are obliged to exaggerate, in the hope of justifying their own existence.
E. M. FORSTER

Book Describe Dull Exaggerate Interesting Life Most Nothing Obliged Talk
Have you ever noticed that there are people who do things which are most indelicate, and yet at the same time – beautiful?
E. M. FORSTER

Beautiful Indelicate Most Notice People Same Thing Time Yet
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

Away Certainty Country Men People Person Run Shall
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
If we act the truth the people who really love us are sure to come back to us in the long run
E. M. FORSTER

Act Back Long Love People Really Run Some Sure Truth
One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.
E. M. FORSTER

Better Interest Our People Prsonmapssion
One has two duties – to be worried and not to be worried.
E. M. FORSTER

City One Two Worried Worry
For it is a serious thing to have been watched. We all radiate something curiously intimate when we believe ourselves to be alone.
E. M. FORSTER

Alone Been Believe Curiously Intimate Ourselves Radiate Serious Something Thing Watch
Unless we remember we cannot understand.
E. M. FORSTER

Understand Unless Remember
What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?
E. M. FORSTER

Daily Enter Good Live Star Sunrise Tree Wind
I would rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave.
E. M. FORSTER

Brave Coward Hurtbrave People Rather
How can I know what I think till I see what I say?
E. M. FORSTER

Know Say See Think What
How can I know what I think till I see what I say?
E. M. FORSTER

Know Say See Think What
Let yourself go. Pull out from the depths those thoughts that you do not understand, and spread them out in the sunlight and know the meaning of them.
E. M. FORSTER

Depth Let Meaning Pull Sunlight Thought Understand Yourself
The only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves.
E. M. FORSTER

Book Down Farther Gone Got Influence Little Only Ourselves Particular Read
Inside its cocoon of work or social obligation, the human spirit slumbers for the most part, registering the distinction between pleasure and pain, but not nearly as alert as we pretend.
E. M. FORSTER

Again Happen Nearly Nothing Period Pleasure Pretend Register Thrill
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
It was pleasant, too, to fling wide the windows, pinching the fingers in unfamiliar fastenings, to lean out into sunshine with beautiful hills and trees and marble churches opposite, and, close below, Arno, gurgling against the embankment of the road.
E. M. FORSTER

Beautiful Embankment Fastening Hill Opposite Pinch Pleasant Road Tree Unfamiliar Wide
There are periods in the most thrilling day during which nothing happens, and though we continue to exclaim, “I do enjoy myself”, or , “I am horrified,” we are insincere.
E. M. FORSTER

Happen Horrified Human Insincere Myself Nothing Period Slumber Thrill
I cannot help thinking that there is something to admire in everyone, even if you do not approve of them.
E. M. FORSTER

Admire Approve Everyone Help Something Them Think
You confuse what’s important with what’s impressive.
E. M. FORSTER

Confuse Important Impressive
I am sure that if the mothers of various nations could meet, there would be no more wars.
E. M. FORSTER

Meet More Motor Nation No Sure Various War
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
I believe in teaching people to be individuals, and to understand other individuals.
E. M. FORSTER

Believe Individual People Teach Understand
She stopped and leant her elbows against the parapet of the embankment. He did likewise. There is at times a magic in identity of position; it is one of the things that have suggested to us eternal comradeship.
E. M. FORSTER

Against Elbow Embankment Identity Learn Likewise Magic Parapet Position Stop Times

At night, when the curtains are drawn and the fire flickers, my books attain a collective dignity.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

At night, when the curtains are drawn and the fire flickers, my books attain a collective dignity.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More E. M. Forster Quotes