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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

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
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
I distrust Great Men. They produce a desert of uniformity around them and often a pool of blood too, and I always feel a little man’s pleasure when they come a cropper.
E. M. FORSTER

Around Blood Disturb Great Men Often Produce Uniformity
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
You told me once that we shall be judged by our intentions, not by our accomplishments. I thought it a grand remark. But we must intend to accomplish – not sit intending on a chair.
E. M. FORSTER

Accomplishment Intention Judge Once Shall Told
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
The armour of falsehood is subtly wrought out of darkness, and hides a man not only from others, but from his own soul.
E. M. FORSTER

Armour Darkness Falsehood Hide Man Only Other Soul Subtly Wrought
Nonsense and beauty have close connections.
E. M. FORSTER

Beauty Close Connection Nonsense
I have no mystic faith in the people. I have in the individual.
E. M. FORSTER

Faith Individual Mystic People
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
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
My temple stands not upon Mount Moriah but in the Elysian Field where even the immoral are admitted. My motto is ‘Lord, I disbelieve – help thou my unbelief.
E. M. FORSTER

Admit Country Disbelieve Motto People Person Stand Temple Unbelief
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
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
The kingdom of music is not the kingdom of this world.
E. M. FORSTER

Kingdom Music World

There are moments when the inner life actually ‘pays,’ when years of self-scrutiny, conducted for no ulterior motive, are suddenly of practical use.

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There are moments when the inner life actually ‘pays,’ when years of self-scrutiny, conducted for no ulterior motive, are suddenly of practical use.

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Popular Authors

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