Category: Lit & Crit

“Hot blood’s never cooled by reason.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory

“When I was thirteen, after my mother slit her wrists in the kitchen, I let my nails grow out and bit them into points. When I was in front of my father, I’d claw at my face. The doctor said I was seeking attention, which I think should have been a sign to give me more of it.” – Isabella Jetten, “Bloody Avenue”

“Some hoped that when their navy turned to mermaids the Rutuli would read that sign as a warning to stop the war—but still the war went on, gods ranged on either side to help their favorites, and both sides took their stand, brave as the gods. They even lost the reason why they fought, even forgot the virgin bride-to-be, her father’s name, and all his wealthy kingdom. They fought for nothing else but victory, against the thought of yielding to defeat.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory

“If we’re afraid, our fears will leave us open to more trouble.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory

“When Canens sang, cold rocks were moved to tears, or seemed less granite than a rock should be, the trees were swayed, rough beasts grew sentimental, and busy rivers winding miles away began to rest, to float, to fall asleep, and birds who heard her half-forgot to fly.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory

“In this strange anatomy we wear, the head has greater powers than the hand; the spirit, heart, and mind are over all.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory

“Combat crews [on Umnak Island, Alaska] set up their own tents and until 5 June [1942] cooked their own meals. Their bivouac area was a sea of mud; water covered the ground inside many of their tents and all crews were on alert from dawn to dark, which at that time of the year extended from 0400 to 2300. They went with little or no sleep for 48-hour periods, and they performed much of their own maintenance, pumping the gas from barrels and pouring oil from five-gallon cans.” – Kramer J. Rohfleisch, “Drawing the Battle Line in the Pacific” (from James Lea Cate and Wesley Frank Craven, The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vol. One, Plans and Early Operations)

“Too much of glory carries ill fortune and a curse to many.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory

“Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.” – Isaac Asimov (quoted by Wendy Northcutt in The Darwin Awards: Next Evolution)

“There’s nothing more elusive than Time in flight, more swift in flight than he who steals our years and months, our days and hours.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory

“How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds make ill deeds done!” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 4.2

“It is the curse of kings to be attended by slaves that take their humours for a warrant to break within the bloody house of life; and, on the winking of authority, to understand a law.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 4.2

“Oftentimes excusing of a fault doth make the fault the worse by the excuse,—as patches set upon a little breach discredit more in hiding of the fault than did the fault before it was so patch’d.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 4.2

“To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue unto the rainbow, or with taper-light to seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish, is wasteful and ridiculous excess.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 4.2

“When Fortune means to men most good, she looks upon them with a threatening eye.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 3.4

“Before the curing of a strong disease, even in the instant of repair and health, the fit is strongest; evils that take leave, on their departure most of all show evil.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 3.4

“O, that my tongue were in the thunder’s mouth! Then with a passion would I shake the world.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 3.4

“When law can do no right, let it be lawful that law bar no wrong.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 3.1

“Well, whiles I am a beggar, I will rail, and say, there is no sin but to be rich; and being rich, my virtue then shall be, to say, there is no vice but beggary.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 2.1

“Who dares not stir by day must walk by night; and have is have, however men do catch.” – William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John 1.1

“Military necessity gave the greatest strategic importance to that section of the country [Australia] which had been least developed; the main centers of population, wealth, and transportation were in the southeast, whereas the north and northeast now held the position of key military importance. The difficulty of transporting goods overland from Brisbane to Darwin was as great as from Darwin to the Philippines, if not so dangerous. No railroad connected the two cities, which were 2,500 miles apart by the most expeditious land route. For over a quarter of this distance only a rough motor road cut through the central desert, and this road ended approximately 300 miles from Darwin to connect with a railway capable of carrying no more than 300 tons of freight per day. Repair facilities were inadequate for maintenance of either road or railway, and some of the rolling stock literally buckled under the weight of heavy American equipment.” – Richard L. Watson, “Pearl Harbor and Clark Field” (from James Lea Cate and Wesley Frank Craven, The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vol. One, Plans and Early Operations)

“Once on a time near Gnossus, the royal seat of Phaestia, there was a man called Ligdus, a modest freedman, simple and unknown, nor was his wealth enough to make him famous; his one distinction—he kept out of jail.” – Ovid: The Metamorphoses, trans. Horace Gregory

“A jest’s prosperity lies in the ear of him that hears it, never in the tongue of him that makes it.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost 5.2

“Honest plain words best pierce the ear of grief.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost 5.2

“The extreme parts of time extremely form all causes to the purpose of his speed; and often, at his very loose, decides that which long process could not arbitrate.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost 5.2

“A heavy heart bears not a nimble tongue.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost 5.2

“Folly in fools bears not so strong a note as foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost 5.2

“The blood of youth burns not with such excess as gravity’s revolt to wantonness.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost 5.2

“None are so surely caught, when they are catch’d, as wit turn’d fool: folly, in wisdom hatch’d, hath wisdom’s warrant, and the help of school, and wit’s own grace to grace a learned fool.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost, 5.2

“A light heart lives long.” – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labour’s Lost, 5.2