W. Somerset Maugham Quotes

Perfection has one grave defect: it is apt to be dull.
W. Somerset Maugham

Perfection, Grave, Dull

The crown of literature is poetry.
W. Somerset Maugham

Poetry, Literature, Crown

The essence of the beautiful is unity in variety.
W. Somerset Maugham

Beautiful, Unity, Essence

The most useful thing about a principle is that it can always be sacrificed to expediency.
W. Somerset Maugham

Useful, Principle, Expediency

The trouble with young writers is that they are all in their sixties.
W. Somerset Maugham

Young, Trouble, Writers

The world is quickly bored by the recital of misfortune, and willing avoids the sight of distress.
W. Somerset Maugham

Bored, Willing, Sight

The writer is more concerned to know than to judge.
W. Somerset Maugham

Judge, Writer, Concerned

The writer of prose can only step aside when the poet passes.
W. Somerset Maugham

Step, Writer, Poet

We have long passed the Victorian Era when asterisks were followed after a certain interval by a baby.
W. Somerset Maugham

Long, After, Baby

When you are young you take the kindness people show you as your right.
W. Somerset Maugham

Kindness, Young, Show

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Biography

Nationality: British

Type: Playwright

Born: January 25, 1874

Died: December 16, 1965

Links

Find on Amazon: W. Somerset Maugham

Cite this Page: Citation

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