Washington Irving was an American writer of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories “Rip Van Winkle” and “Bracebridge Hall, or The Humorists, A Medley.” But he also wrote essays, biographies, and histories. I am personally a huge fan of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” arguably one of his most famous works. But, there are so many great quotes by Washington Irving that pulls from all of his creative works.
Interestingly, throughout his career, Irving drew on his experience growing up in New York City. Working in the diplomatic service, he created works that poke fun at American society while also celebrating its quirks. In honor of Irving’s birthday, we’ve compiled a list of 21 of his best quotes. These quotes offer a glimpse into the mind of one of America’s first great authors. So sit back, relax, and enjoy some of Irving’s wit and wisdom.
I hope you enjoy these quotes by Washington Irving…
1) “A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.”
2) “Age is a matter of feeling, not of years.”
3) “All these, however, were mere terrors of the night, phantoms of the mind that walk in darkness; and though he had seen many spectres in his time, and been more than once beset by Satan in divers shapes, in his lonely pre-ambulations, yet daylight put an end to all these evils; and he would have passed a pleasent life of it, in despite of the devil and all his works, if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race of witches put together, and that was – a woman.”
4) “and he would have passed a pleasant life of it, in despite of the Devil and all his works, if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race of witches put together, and that was—a woman.”
Washington Irving Quotes
5) “There is a certain relief in change, even though it be from bad to worse! As I have often found in traveling in a stagecoach, that it is often a comfort to shift one’s position, and be bruised in a new place.”
6) “Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.”
7) “Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.”
8) “Surely happiness is reflective, like the light of heaven; and every countenance, bright with smiles, and glowing with innocent enjoyment, is a mirror transmitting to others the rays of a supreme and ever-shining benevolence.”
9) “I profess not to know how women’s hearts are wooed and won. To me they have always been matters of riddle and admiration. Some seem to have but one vulnerable point, or door of access; while others have a thousand avenues, and may be captured in a thousand different ways. It is a great triumph of skill to gain the former, but a still greater proof of generalship to maintain possession of the latter, for man must battle for his fortress at every door and window. He who wins a thousand common hearts is therefore entitled to some renown; but he who keeps undisputed sway over the heart of a coquette is indeed a hero.”
This is a great quote from The Sketch Book…
10) “There is in every true woman’s heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.”
11) “Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.”
12) “Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.”
13) “There are certain half-dreaming moods of mind in which we naturally steal away from noise and glare, and seek some quiet haunt where we may indulge our reveries and build our air castles undisturbed.”
14) “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”
A quote from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow…
15) “Others may write from the head, but he writes from the heart, and the heart will always understand him.”
16) “A barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping lion.”
17) “Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart.”
18) “A tart temper never mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.”
19) “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love.”
20) “They who drink beer will think beer.”
21) “To look upon its grass grown yard, where the sunbeams seem to sleep so quietly, one would think that there at least the dead might rest in peace.”
Books by Washington Irving
1) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
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2) The Sketch Book
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3) Rip Van Winkle
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