Matthew Arnold Quotes on Man (14 Quotes)

Let Sohrab arm, and we will find a man.

For what wears out the life of mortal men?

If experience has established any one thing in this world, it has established this that it is well for any great class and description of men in society to be able to say for itself what it wants, and not to have other classes, the so-called educated and intelligent classes, acting for it as its proctors, and supposed to understand its wants and to provide for them. A class of men may often itself not either fully understand its wants, or adequately express them but it has a nearer interest and a more sure diligence in the matter than any of its proctors, and therefore a better chance of success.

The need of expansion is as genuine an instinct in man as the need in a plant for the light, or the need in man himself for going upright. The love of liberty is simply the instinct in man for expansion.

He knows, says Hebraism, his Biblewhenever we hear this said, we may, without any elaborate defense of culture, content ourselves with answering simply No man, who knows nothing else, knows even his Bible.

For the creation of a masterwork of literature two powers must concur, the power of the man and the power of the moment, and the man is not enough without the moment.

Not that your age excel
In pride of life the ages of your sires,
But that you think clear, feel deep, bear fruit well,
The Friend of man desires.

To hear the world applaud the hollow ghost Which blamed the living man.

Man, who art thou who dost deny my words?

A life of blood indeed, thou dreadful man!

Truth sits upon the lips of dying men.

Some life of men unblest
He knew, which made him droop, and fill'd his head.

Know, man hath all which nature hath, but more, and in that more lie all his hopes of good

Was Christ a man like us Ah let us try If we then, too, can be such men as he.