QuoteProject
Scorn not the sonnet. Critic, you have frowned, Mindless of its just honours; with this key Shakespeare unlocked his heart.
William Wordsworth
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote defends the sonnet form, highlighting its emotional depth and significance.

William Wordsworth argues for the value of the sonnet, suggesting that critics often overlook its emotional and artistic merits. He implies that Shakespeare, through the sonnet, expressed profound feelings and thoughts, and that dismissing this form is a misunderstanding of its power and beauty.

Themes

SonnetPoetryEmotionArtExpressionCriticism

In practice

Example use cases

During a poetry reading, you might refer to this quote to emphasize the significance of the sonnet form.

More from William Wordsworth

For mightier far_x000D_ _x000D_ Than strength of nerve or sinew, or the sway_x000D_ _x000D_ Of magic potent over sun and star,_x000D_ _x000D_ Is love, though oft to agony distrest,_x000D_ _x000D_ And though his favourite be feeble woman's breast.
William WordsworthRead
By all means sometimes be alone; salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear; dare to look in thy chest; and tumble up and down what thou findest there.
William WordsworthRead
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,_x000D_ _x000D_ The earth, and every common sight,_x000D_ _x000D_ To me did seem_x000D_ _x000D_ Apparelled in celestial light,_x000D_ _x000D_ The glory and the freshness of a dream.
William WordsworthRead
Books are yours, Within whose silent chambers treasure lies Preserved from age to age; more precious far Than that accumulated store of gold And orient gems, which, for a day of need, The Sultan hides deep in ancestral tombs. These hoards of truth you can unlock at will.
William WordsworthRead
The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers: Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon! The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon; The winds that will be howling at all hours, And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers; For this, for everything, we are out of tune.
William WordsworthRead
Shalt show us how divine a thing A woman may be made.
William WordsworthRead

Similar quotes

Fashions come and go; bad taste is timeless.
Beau BrummellRead
The fairy poet takes a sheet Of moonbeam, silver white; His ink is dew from daisies sweet, His pen a point of light.
Joyce KilmerRead
Whenever I start writing, I try to put together songs that feed the feeling of the movie.
Spike JonzeRead
Not only do I have to live, right, I have to get some cash for my troubles - it's a scary thing, and people need to start to think about the messages that they send in the movies.
Morgan FreemanRead
The calling of art is to extract us from our daily reality, to bring us to a hidden truth that's difficult to access - to a level that's not material but spiritual.
Abbas KiarostamiRead
When you dance, your body just wants to find its natural weight. I'm naturally a lot more Tommy Tune than I am Wolverine.
Hugh JackmanRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.