Quotes from Complete Works

“A thousand Dreams within me softly burn:
From time to time my heart is like some oak
Whose blood runs golden where a branch is torn.”
― Arthur Rimbaud, quote from Complete Works

“I have stretched ropes from steeple to steeple; Garlands from window to window; Golden chains from star to star ... And I dance.”
― Arthur Rimbaud, quote from Complete Works

“Evening prayer

I spend my life sitting, like an angel in a barber's chair,
Holding a beer mug with deep-cut designs,
My neck and gut both bent, while in the air
A weightless veil of pipe smoke hangs.

Like steaming dung within an old dovecote
A thousand Dreams within me softly burn:
From time to time my heart is like some oak
Whose blood runs golden where a branch is torn.

And then, when I have swallowed down my Dreams
In thirty, forty mugs of beer, I turn
To satisfy a need I can't ignore,

And like the Lord of Hyssop and of Myrrh
I piss into the skies, a soaring stream
That consecrates a patch of flowering fern.”
― Arthur Rimbaud, quote from Complete Works

“Ciel ! Amour ! Liberté ! Quel rêve, ô pauvre Folle!
Tu te fondais à lui comme une neige au feu”
― Arthur Rimbaud, quote from Complete Works

“These verses believe; they love; they hope; that is all.”
― Arthur Rimbaud, quote from Complete Works

“Eternas ondinas,
dividid el agua fina.
Venus, del azul hermana,
conmueve las puras aguas.

Judío errante en Noruega,
dime, ¿cómo nieva?
Viejos exiliados tiernos,
contadme el océano.

YO-. Nunca esas bebidas puras,
ni esas flores de florero,
ni leyendas, ni figuras,
saciarme pudieron.

Coplista, tu ahijada
es mi sed que se desboca,
hidra íntima sin bocas
que roe y devasta.”
― Arthur Rimbaud, quote from Complete Works

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Popular quotes

“Retórica dos namorados, dá-me uma comparação exata e poética para dizer o que foram aqueles olhos de Capitu. Não me acode imagem capaz de dizer, sem quebra da dignidade do estilo, o que eles foram e me fizeram. Olhos de ressaca? Vá, de ressaca. É o que me dá ideia daquela feição nova. Traziam não sei que fluido misterioso e enérgico, uma força que arrastava para dentro, como a vaga que se retira da praia, nos dias de ressaca. Para não ser arrastado, agarrei-me às outras partes vizinhas, às orelhas, aos braços, aos cabelos espalhados pelos ombros, mas tão depressa buscava as pupilas, a onda que saía delas vinha crescendo, cava e escura, ameaçando envolver-me, puxar-me e tragar-me. Quantos minutos gastamos naquele jogo? Só os relógios do céu terão marcado esse tempo infinito e breve. A eternidade tem as suas pêndulas; nem por não acabar nunca deixa de querer saber a duração das felicidades e dos suplícios. Há de dobrar o gozo aos bem-aventurados do céu conhecer a soma dos tormentos que já terão padecido no inferno os seus inimigos; assim também a quantidade das delícias que terão gozado no céu os seus desafetos aumentará as dores aos condenados do inferno. Este outro suplício escapou ao divino Dante; mas eu não estou aqui para emendar poetas. Estou para contar que, ao cabo de um tempo não marcado, agarrei-me definitivamente aos cabelos de Capitou, mas então com as mãos, e disse-lhe, – para dizer alguma cousa, – que era capaz de os pentear, se quisesse. – Você? – Eu mesmo. – Vai embaraçar-me o cabelo todo, isso sim. – Se embaraçar, você desembaraça depois. – Vamos ver.”
― Machado de Assis, quote from Dom Casmurro

“America is like an exotic hothouse plant. It can only live now in the artificial environment of vaccinations, sterilization, and antibiotics we started creating a hundred or more years ago.”
― William R. Forstchen, quote from One Second After

“I don’t . . . I don’t want to be like this anymore!” His tone was anguished. “You’re getting so much better,” she murmured. “Soon you won’t have these nightmares.” He narrowed his gaze at her, as if just noticing she was there. “You were . . . murdered—you remind me of the things I’ve done, of consequences,” he choked out. “And you show me what I could have had . . . if I’d been . . . different.” He grasped his head again and muttered, “You’re what’s wrong with my past. What must be missing from my future.” She knew he would remember little to none of these words—but she would. “Conrad, your future’s not settled. You can have good things in your life again.” “You’re the perfect punishment for me.” “Oh.” Stunned, she rose to leave. He reached out to stay her. When he closed his big fist around air, he turned and struck the headboard with frustration. Eyes vacant, burning red, he rasped, “Did any man ever want his penance so much?”
― Kresley Cole, quote from Dark Needs at Night's Edge

“Are you kidding me? The woman leaves priceless Ming vases and Picassos lying about like they came off a sale rack at some discount store and she fills a hidden safe with musty old books?”
― Alexandra Ivy, quote from When Darkness Comes

“She had been wrong in thinking Christ had been called up against his will to fight in a war. He didn't look - in spite of the crown of thorns - like someone making a sacrifice. Or even like someone determined to "do his bit". He looked instead like Marjorie had looked telling Polly she'd joined the Nursing Service, like Mr Humphreys had looked filling buckets with water and sand to save Saint Paul's, like Miss Laburnum had looked that day she came to Townsend Brothers with the coats. He looked like Captain Faulknor must have looked, lashing the ships together. Like Ernest Shackleton, setting out in that tiny boat across icy seas. Like Colin helping Mr Dunworthy across the wreckage.

He looked ... contented. As if he was where he wanted to be, doing what he wanted to do.

Like Eileen had looked, telling Polly she'd decided to stay. Like Mike must have looked in Kent, composing engagement announcements and letters to the editor. Like I must have looked there in the rubble with Sir Godfrey, my hand pressed against his heart. Exalted. Happy.

To do something for someone or something you loved - England or Shakespeare or a dog or the Hodbins or history - wasn't a sacrifice at all. Even if it cost you your freedom, your life, your youth.”
― Connie Willis, quote from All Clear

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About BookQuoters

BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, memorable and interesting quotes from great books. As the world communicates more and more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become more relevant and important. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a philosophy by which we live. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book and to carry with us the author’s best ideas.

We thoughtfully gather quotes from our favorite books, both classic and current, and choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. Each quote represents a book that is interesting, well written and has potential to enhance the reader’s life. We also accept submissions from our visitors and will select the quotes we feel are most appealing to the BookQuoters community.

Founded in 2023, BookQuoters has quickly become a large and vibrant community of people who share an affinity for books. Books are seen by some as a throwback to a previous world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is typical of the Information Age but is a habit disdained by some diehard readers. We feel that we have the best of both worlds at BookQuoters; we read books cover-to-cover but offer you some of the highlights. We hope you’ll join us.