50 James Joyce Quotes On Life, Art, And Creativity

Check out the best James Joyce quotes on life, love, and death that reflect the profound wisdom of one of the most famous and influential authors of the 20th century.

James Joyce was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic who is renowned for his groundbreaking works that revolutionized modern literature.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Joyce’s works are celebrated for his experimental writing style, complex narratives, and the exploration of human consciousness.

His masterpiece, “Ulysses” published in 1922 is widely considered one of the greatest novels in Western literature.

Some of his other notable works include “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” (1916), “Dubliners” (1914), and “Finnegans Wake” (1939).

Joyce’s exploration of themes such as identity, memory, and the intricacies of the human experience make his writings relevant and thought-provoking even today.

He passed away on January 13, 1941, but his legacy lives on through his groundbreaking literary contributions, inspiring readers and writers worldwide.

Below are the most famous James Joyce quotes that reflect his deep understanding of human nature, creativity, and the complexities of life.

Top 10 James Joyce Quotes

1. “Absence, the highest form of presence.” — James Joyce

   
2. “Ask no questions and you’ll hear no lies.” — James Joyce  

   

3. “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” — James Joyce, Ulysses              

   

4. “People trample over flowers, yet only to embrace a cactus.” — James Joyce 

   

5. “To learn, one must be humble. But life is the great teacher.” — James Joyce 

   

6. “Your mind will give back to you exactly what you put into it.” — James Joyce        

   

7. “The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.” — James Joyce        

   

8. “It is as painful perhaps to be awakened from a vision as to be born.” — James Joyce
9. “There is not past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present.” — James Joyce 

   

10. “A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.” — James Joyce

Best James Joyce Quotes

1. “Shut your eyes and see.” — James Joyce
2. “Fall if you will, but rise you must.” — James Joyce
3. “Life is too short to read a bad book.” — James Joyce
4. “I fear those big words which make us so unhappy.” — James Joyce
5. “All Moanday, Tearday, Wailsday, Thumpsday, Frightday, Shatterday.” — James Joyce
6. “The light music of whiskey falling into a glass – an agreeable interlude.” — James Joyce
7. “Hold to the now, the here, through which all future plunges to the past.” — James Joyce
8. “The supreme question about a work of art is out of how deep a life does it spring.” — James Joyce
9. “Think you’re escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home.” — James Joyce
10. “Irresponsibility is part of the pleasure of all art; it is the part the schools cannot recognize.” — James Joyce
11. “There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being.” — James Joyce
12. “He wanted to cry quietly but not for himself: for the words, so beautiful and sad, like music.” — James Joyce
13. “Real adventures… do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad.” — James Joyce
14. “The demand that I make of my reader is that he should devote his whole Life to reading my works.” — James Joyce
15. “Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.” — James Joyce
16. “Your battles inspired me – not the obvious material battles but those that were fought and won behind your forehead.” — James Joyce
17. “We were always loyal to lost causes, the professor said. Success for us is the dark of the intellect and of the imagination.” — James Joyce
18. “I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.” — James Joyce
19. “Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.” — James Joyce
20. “I’ve put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that’s the only way of insuring one’s immortality.” — James Joyce
21. “Every life is in many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves.” — James Joyce

Famous Quotes From James Joyce

1. “First we feel. Then we fall.” — James Joyce
2. “Time is, time was, but time shall be no more.” — James Joyce
3. “Nations have their ego, just like individuals.” — James Joyce
4. “When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart.” — James Joyce
5. “A nation is the same people living in the same place.” — James Joyce
6. “Man and woman, love, what is it? A cork and a bottle.” — James Joyce
7. “To live, to err, to fall, to triumph, to recreate life out of life.” — James Joyce
8. “History is that nightmare from which there is no awakening.” — James Joyce
9. “A corpse is meat gone bad. Well and what’s cheese? Corpse of milk.” — James Joyce
10. “Men are governed by lines of intellect – women by curves of emotion.” — James Joyce
11. “Moments of their secret life together burst like stars upon his memory.” — James Joyce
12. “My words in her mind: cold polished stones sinking through a quagmire.” — James Joyce
13. “You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by those nets.” — James Joyce
14. “First kiss does the trick. The propitious moment. Something inside them goes pop.” — James Joyce
15. “I am, a stride at a time. A very short space of time through very short time of space.” — James Joyce
16. “But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.” — James Joyce
17. “All things are inconstant except the faith in the soul, which changes all things and fills their inconstancy with light.” — James Joyce
18. “Poetry, even when apparently most fantastic, is always a revolt against artifice, a revolt, in a sense, against actuality.” — James Joyce
19. “One by one they were all becoming shades. Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.” — James Joyce
20. “The important thing is not what we write but how we write, and in my opinion the modern writer must be an adventurer above all, willing to take every risk, and be prepared to founder in his effort if need be. In other words we must write dangerously.” — James Joyce

Conclusion

What are your favorite James Joyce quotes listed above (with images, pictures, and wallpapers)? If there is a quote that we’ve missed then let us know in the comments section below.

Feel free to share with friends and family on Facebook, Tumblr, X, Instagram, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and more to spread positive vibes.