Jane Austen’s novel “Persuasion” is a masterpiece of romantic fiction, filled with memorable characters, captivating plotlines, and insightful social commentary. One of the most remarkable aspects of this novel is the collection of quotes that continue to resonate with readers to this day. These quotes offer profound insights into love, relationships, and the complexities of human nature. In this article, we have compiled a selection of some of the most memorable quotes from “Persuasion.”
Written in 1817, “Persuasion” tells the story of Anne Elliot, a young woman who is persuaded to break off her engagement with the love of her life, Captain Frederick Wentworth. Years later, they cross paths again, and Anne must navigate her feelings while confronting the consequences of societal pressures and personal regrets. Through Austen’s exquisite prose, the novel explores themes of second chances, the power of persuasion, and the endurance of true love.
Now, let us delve into the quotes from “Persuasion” that have captivated readers for generations:
Read these quotes from Persuasion
“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever.”
“We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey upon us. You are forced on exertion. You have always a profession, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediately, and continual occupation and change soon weaken impressions.”
“There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved. Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement.”
“All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one, you need not covet it) is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone.”
“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.”
“Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything.”
“I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman’s inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman’s fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men.”
“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
“I hate to be obliged to class women and men together. There are a few men who are sufficiently interested in their wives’ concerns to think them worth knowing; but these are as rare as any instance of persons doing real good with little power can be.”
“I can easily believe that reports may vary greatly with respect to me, and I could wish, Miss Elliot, that yours, instead of diffusing distrust, had given me confidence. I wish you may not repent of having done me injustice.”
“It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage. A man always imagines a woman to be ready for anybody who asks her.”
“My idea of good company, Mr. Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation. That is what I call good company.”
“There is nothing like employment, active indispensable employment, for relieving sorrow. Employment, even melancholy, may dispel melancholy.”
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.”
“I have been thinking of the past, and trying impartially to judge of the right and wrong, I mean with regard to myself; and I must believe that I was right, much as I suffered from it, that I was perfectly right in being guided by the friend whom you will love better than you do now.”
“I am half agony, half hope. Will you understand?”
“I must learn to brook being happier than I deserve.”
“There could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison. Now they were strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted.”
“We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.”
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone forever.”
“Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you.”
These quotes from “Persuasion” offer glimpses into the emotional depth and profound observations that Jane Austen effortlessly weaves into her storytelling. They remind us of the enduring power of love, the complexities of human relationships, and the importance of staying true to oneself. Whether you are a fan of Austen’s works or simply appreciate beautifully crafted literature, these quotes will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.
