... All who have brought about a state of…
![“... All who have brought about a state of sex-consciousness are to blame, and it is they who drive me, when I want to stretch my faculties on a book, to seek it in that happy age ... when the writer used both sides of his mind [the male and female sides of his mind] equally. One must turn back to…” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/107/virginia-woolf-49_androgyny_all-who-have-brought-about-a-state-of-se_2271608.jpg)
““... All who have brought about a state of sex-consciousness are to blame, and it is they who drive me, when I want to stretch my faculties on a book, to seek it in that happy age ... when the writer used both sides of his mind [the male and female sides of his mind] equally. One must turn back to Shakespeare then, for Shakespeare was androgynous; and so were Keats and Sterne and Cowper and Lamb and Coleridge. Shelley perhaps was sexless. Milton and Ben Jonson had a dash too much of the male in them. So had Wordsworth and Tolstoy.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Literary history shows many writers embody both masculine and feminine perspectives, challenging gendered classifications
In simple terms: Writers blend male and female traits, defying gender labels
Key Takeaway
Recognize and value gender fluidity in creativity
Themes
literature
gender
identity
history
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
critical
literary
When to use this quote
- academic study
- creative writing
- gender studies
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
androgyny
creative duality
Questions to Reflect On
- How does gender fluidity affect artistic expression?
- Can we separate an author's gender from their work?
A Different Perspective
Risk of overgeneralizing individual authors