The realities of the world affected me as visions, and as visions only, while the wild ideas of the land of dreams became, in turn,—not the material of my every-day existence--but in very deed that existence utterly and solely in itself.

The writer who neglects punctuation, or mispunctuates, is liable to be misunderstood for the want of merely a comma, it often occurs that an axiom appears a paradox, or that a sarcasm is converted into a sermonoid.

When, indeed, men speak of Beauty, they mean, precisely, not a quality, as is supposed, but an effect - they refer, in short, just to that intense and pure elevation of soul - not of intellect, or of heart.

Literature is the most noble of professions. In fact, it is about the only one fit for a man.

I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.

A million candles have burned themselves out. Still I read on. (Montresor)

If a poem hasn't ripped apart your soul; you haven't experienced poetry.