Happiness: We rarely feel it. I would buy it, beg it, steal it, Pay in coins of dripping blood For this one transcendent good.
Amy LowellRead
All books are either dreams or swords, you can cut, or you can drug, with words.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Books can be powerful tools for both inspiration and influence.
In this quote, Amy Lowell suggests that books have the dual capacity to inspire readers, akin to dreams, and to empower or challenge them, much like swords. Words possess the ability to heal or soothe (like a drug) or to provoke thought and create change (like a cutting sword), emphasizing the profound impact literature can have on individuals and society.
Themes
BooksDreamsSwordsWordsInspirationPower
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of education, one might say, 'As Amy Lowell said, all books are either dreams or swords, showing how literature can inspire and transform lives.'
More from Amy Lowell
All quotes βI am tired, Beloved, of chafing my heart against the want of you; of squeezing it into little inkdrops, And posting it.
Amy LowellRead
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If we can't stamp out literature in the country, we can at least stop its being brought in from outside.
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