» On silence

…nine quietly effective quotations

To restore silence is the role of objects.

Samuel Beckett . 1906-1989 . Irish novelist, playwright, poet . Molloy

Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.

GK Chesterton . 1874-1936 . English writer . Alarms and discursions

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

Kahlil Gibran . 1883-1931 . Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer . The prophet

Silence is argument carried out by other means.

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara . 1928-1967 . Argentine revolutionary, guerrilla leader and military theorist . quoted, Secrets to a richer life (Guile, 2005)

There were grammatical errors even in his silence.

Stanisŀaw Lec . 1909-1966 . Polish poet and aphorist . Unkempt thoughts

Le silence eternel des ces espaces infinis m’effraie
The eternal silence of these infinite spaces terrifies me.

Blaise Pascal . 1623-1662 . French mathematician, logician and theologian . Pensées

The rest is silence.

William Shakespeare . 1564-1616 . English poet and playwright . Hamlet, V ii

But my words like silent raindrops fell, and echoed in the wells of silence.

Paul Simon . 1941- . American singer-songwriter . song, The sound of silence

A painter paints his pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. We provide the music, and you provide the silence.

Leopold Stokowski . 1882-1977 . British-born orchestral conductor . address to audience, Carnegie Hall . quoted in The New York times

On silence