Literary success of any enduring kind is made by refusing to do what publishers want, by refusing to write what the public wants, by refusing to accept any popular standard, by refusing to write anything to order. Lafcadio Hearn More Quotes by Lafcadio Hearn More Quotes From Lafcadio Hearn I often imagine that the longer he studies English literature the more the Japanese student must be astonished at the extraordinary predominance given to the passion of love both in fiction and in poetry. Lafcadio Hearn passion literature fiction In the world of reality the more beautiful a work of art, the longer, we may be sure, was the time required to make it, and the greater the number of different minds which assisted in its development. Lafcadio Hearn beautiful reality art I may venture to say, loosely, that in Judo there is a sort of counter for every twist, wrench, pull, push or bend. Only the Judo expert does not oppose such movements at all. No, he yields to them. But he does much more than yield to them. He aids them with a wicked sleight that causes the assailant to put out his own shoulder, to fracture his own arm, or in a desparate case, even to break his own neck or back. Lafcadio Hearn wicked yield experts But the history of the changes produced by a universal idea is not a history of changes in the individual, but of changes brought about by the successive efforts of millions of individuals in the course of many generations. Lafcadio Hearn generations effort ideas Any idealism is a proper subject for art. Lafcadio Hearn idealism subjects art It has been wisely observed by the greatest of modern thinkers that mankind has progressed more rapidly in every other respect than in morality. Lafcadio Hearn morality motherhood literature There is one type of ideal woman very seldom described in poetry - the old maid, the woman whom sorrow or misfortune prevents from fulfilling her natural destiny. Lafcadio Hearn swag destiny sorrow The Western poet and writer of romance has exactly the same kind of difficulty in comprehending Eastern subjects as you have in comprehending Western subjects. Lafcadio Hearn romance poet kind It is no exaggeration to say that the English Bible is, next to Shakespeare, the greatest work in English literature, and that it will have much more influence than even Shakespeare upon the written and spoken language of the English race. Lafcadio Hearn next race literature Perhaps there is an idea among Japanese students that one general difference between Japanese and Western poetry is that the former cultivates short forms and the latter longer ones, gut this is only in part true. Lafcadio Hearn differences literature ideas The proverbial philosophy of a people helps us to understand more about them than any other kind of literature. Lafcadio Hearn literature philosophy people The more you wish to be, the wiser you are; while the wish to have is apt to be foolish in proportion to its largeness. Lafcadio Hearn wiser-you foolish wish Some persons have ventured to say that it is only since Englishmen ceased to believe in the Bible that they began to discover how beautiful it was. Lafcadio Hearn englishmen beautiful believe One of the great defects of English books printed in the last century is the want of an index. Lafcadio Hearn lasts want book But I confess that "my mind to me a kingdom is" - not! Rather it is a fantastical republic, daily troubled by more revolutions than ever occurred in South America. Lafcadio Hearn republic mind america Woo the muse of the odd. Lafcadio Hearn muse odd Contemporary literature in the West has shown some signs of ethical change. Lafcadio Hearn ethical west literature My friends are much more dangerous than my enemies. These latter - with infinite subtlety - spin webs to keep me out of places where I hate to go, - and tell stories of me to people whom it would be vanity and vexation to meet; - and they help me so much by their unconscious aid that I almost love them. Lafcadio Hearn vanity hate people The subject of Finnish poetry ought to have a special interest for the Japanese student, if only for the reason that Finnish poetry comes more closely in many respects to Japanese poetry than any other form of Western poetry. Lafcadio Hearn students literature special As a result, the highly civilized man can endure incomparably more than the savage, whether of moral or physical strain. Being better able to control himself under all circumstances, he has a great advantage over the savage. Lafcadio Hearn savages literature men
