60 H. P. Lovecraft Quotes for You to Enjoy

H. P. Lovecraft

American Novelist

Born: Aug 20, 1890

Died: Mar 15, 1937

Any Life Man Me Will World

Related authors: Elie Wiesel Ernest Hemingway Herman Melville James Baldwin John Updike Leo Rosten Nathaniel Hawthorne Richard Bach

In theory I am an agnostic, but pending the appearance of rational evidence, I must be classed, practically and provisionally, as an atheist. H. P. Lovecraft

Atheist Evidence Must Rational Practically Am Theory Agnostic Appearance

A dog is a pitiful thing, depending wholly on companionship, and utterly lost except in packs or by the side of his master. Leave him alone, and he does not know what to do except bark and howl and trot about till sheer exhaustion forces him to sleep. H. P. Lovecraft

Alone Dog Master Lost Side About Except He Know Him Forces Sheer Does Till Exhaustion Leave Howl His Depending Pitiful Packs Bark Companionship Wholly Thing Utterly Sleep

I couldn't live a week without a private library - indeed, I'd part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I'd let go of the 1500 or so books I possess. H. P. Lovecraft

Library Before Live Books Furniture Indeed Possess Week Part Without Go Private Squat Let Go Floor Sleep

It is only the forcible propagation of conventional Christianity that makes the agnostic so bitter toward the church. He knows that all the doctrines cannot possibly be true, but he would view them with toleration if he were asked merely to let them alone for the benefit of the masses whom they can help and succour. H. P. Lovecraft

Alone Church Be True Christianity Benefit Bitter Possibly Would Propagation Only He True Merely Toward Masses Doctrines Forcible Knows Makes Were Conventional Cannot Them Asked View Help Agnostic Toleration Whom

Bunch together a group of people deliberately chosen for strong religious feelings, and you have a practical guarantee of dark morbidities expressed in crime, perversion, and insanity. H. P. Lovecraft

You Together People Strong Dark Crime Insanity Feelings Group Religious Deliberately Practical Bunch Perversion Expressed Chosen Guarantee

Imagination is a very potent thing, and in the uneducated often usurps the place of genuine experience. H. P. Lovecraft

Experience Imagination Potent Genuine Very Uneducated Often Place Thing

The reason why time plays a great part in so many of my tales is that this element looms up in my mind as the most profoundly dramatic and grimly terrible thing in the universe. H. P. Lovecraft

Time Great Mind Universe Dramatic Great Part Part Tales Most Terrible Terrible Thing Up Reason Many Element Why Thing Profoundly Plays

Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places. H. P. Lovecraft

Strange Haunt Horror After Places Far Searchers

An excellent habit to cultivate is the analytical study of the King James Bible. For simple yet rich and forceful English, this masterly production is hard to equal; and even though its Saxon vocabulary and poetic rhythm be unsuited to general composition, it is an invaluable model for writers on quaint or imaginative themes. H. P. Lovecraft

Bible Simple King Rich Analytical Saxon Though Composition Vocabulary Invaluable General Poetic Habit Excellent Writers Study Quaint Equal Forceful Cultivate Model James Rhythm Themes Production Hard English Even Imaginative

For correct writing, the cultivation of patience and mental accuracy is essential. Throughout the young author's period of apprenticeship, he must keep reliable dictionaries and textbooks at his elbow; eschewing as far as possible that hasty extemporaneous manner of writing which is the privilege of more advanced students. H. P. Lovecraft

Patience Writing Young Apprenticeship Correct Possible Reliable Must Hasty Mental More Throughout Students He Advanced Period Cultivation His Textbooks Privilege Author Dictionaries Accuracy Essential As Far As Which Elbow Far Manner Keep

The end of a story must be stronger rather than weaker than the beginning, since it is the end which contains the denouement or culmination and which will leave the strongest impression upon the reader. H. P. Lovecraft

Will Stronger Beginning Weaker Must Strongest Rather Contains Since Reader Leave Culmination Impression End Than Story Which

It is easy to remove the mind from harping on the lost illusion of immortality. The disciplined intellect fears nothing and craves no sugar-plum at the day's end, but is content to accept life and serve society as best it may. H. P. Lovecraft

Never should an unfamiliar word be passed over without elucidation, for, with a little conscientious research, we may each day add to our conquests in the realm of philology and become more and more ready for graceful independent expression. H. P. Lovecraft

Day Word Become Research Add Our Independent More More And More Never Over Without Ready Passed Graceful May Unfamiliar Little Realm Should Each Each Day Expression Conscientious

All of my tales are based on the fundamental premise that common human laws and emotions have no validity or significance in the cosmos-at-large. H. P. Lovecraft

Emotions Validity Significance Laws Tales Human Common Premise Fundamental Based

The man or nation of high culture may acknowledge to great lengths the restraints imposed by conventions and honour, but beyond a certain point, primitive will or desire cannot be curbed. H. P. Lovecraft

Great Man Culture Will Nation Honour High Point Primitive Beyond Imposed May Conventions Acknowledge Cannot Certain Certain Point Desire

All attempts at gaining literary polish must begin with judicious reading, and the learner must never cease to hold this phase uppermost. In many cases, the usage of good authors will be found a more effective guide than any amount of precept. H. P. Lovecraft

Good Will Reading Guide Must Cases More Never Attempts Learner Polish Judicious Cease Effective Begin Precept Than Authors Any Hold Literary Gaining Usage Many Found Amount Phase

Truth is of no practical value to mankind save as it affects terrestrial phenomena, hence the discoveries of science should be concealed or glossed over wherever they conflict with orthodoxy. H. P. Lovecraft

Truth Science Truth Is Conflict Value Concealed Over Terrestrial Practical Discoveries Affects Wherever Mankind Should Hence Orthodoxy Phenomena Save

Plots may be simple or complex, but suspense, and climactic progress from one incident to another, are essential. Every incident in a fictional work should have some bearing on the climax or denouement, and any denouement which is not the inevitable result of the preceding incidents is awkward and unliterary. H. P. Lovecraft

Of our relation to all creation we can never know anything whatsoever. All is immensity and chaos. But, since all this knowledge of our limitations cannot possibly be of any value to us, it is better to ignore it in our daily conduct of life. H. P. Lovecraft

Write out the story - rapidly, fluently, and not too critically - following the second or narrative-order synopsis. Change incidents and plot whenever the developing process seems to suggest such change, never being bound by any previous design. H. P. Lovecraft

Change Design Too Fluently Out Plot Critically Rapidly Following Seems Previous Write Never Developing Bound Any Whenever Being Process Story Incidents Second Suggest

It would not be amiss for the novice to write the last paragraph of his story first, once a synopsis of the plot has been carefully prepared - as it always should be. H. P. Lovecraft

First Carefully Once Plot Has-Been Paragraph Would Write Always Been His Story Should Prepared Novice Last

To the scientist there is the joy in pursuing truth which nearly counteracts the depressing revelations of truth. H. P. Lovecraft

Truth Joy Pursuing Revelations Scientist Which Depressing Nearly

H. P. Lovecraft Quotes

No more H. P. Lovecraft quotes