--- title: "7 Critic Quotes By Samuel Johnson" description: "7 Critic quotes by Samuel Johnson. Plus more from Samuel Johnson and more Critic sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/samuel-johnson-50_composition_the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-fore_14797.png" --- > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/samuel-johnson-50_composition_the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-fore_14797.png) > [Criticism is a study by which men grow important and formidable at very small expense. He whom nature has made weak, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/criticism-is-a-study-by-which-men-grow-important-and-formidable-at-2/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/samuel-johnson-50_critic_criticism-is-a-study-by-which-men-grow-i_574458.jpg) > [“Shakespeare opens a mine which contains gold and diamonds in unexhaustible plenty, though clouded by incrustations, debased by impurities, and mingled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/shakespeare-opens-a-mine-which-contains-gold-and-diamonds-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da3/samuel-johnson-50_critic_shakespeare-opens-a-mine-which-contains_1054398.png) > [Critics, like the rest of mankind, are very frequently misled by interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/critics-like-the-rest-of-mankind-are-very-frequently-misled-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba5/samuel-johnson-50_critic_critics-like-the-rest-of-mankind-are-ver_1251303.png) > [Criticism is a study by which men grow important and formidable at very small expense. The power of invention has been conferred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/criticism-is-a-study-by-which-men-grow-important-and-formidable-at-3/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/efd/samuel-johnson-50_critic_criticism-is-a-study-by-which-men-grow-i_2388409.png) > [“Imitations produce pain or pleasure, not because they are mistaken for realities, but because they bring realities to mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/imitations-produce-pain-or-pleasure-not-because-they-are-mistaken-for/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/88d/samuel-johnson-50_critic_imitations-produce-pain-or-pleasure-not_2436445.png) > [The care of the critic should be to distinguish error from inability, faults of inexperience from defects of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-care-of-the-critic-should-be-to-distinguish-error-from-inability/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85b/samuel-johnson-50_care_the-care-of-the-critic-should-be-to-dist_2450386.png) ## Other authors on Critic ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critic/samuel-johnson/#itemlist", "name": "7 Critic Quotes By Samuel Johnson", "numberOfItems": 7, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting to myrtles and to roses; filling the eye with awful pomp, and gratifying the mind with endless diversity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/samuel-johnson-50_composition_the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-fore_14797.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/samuel-johnson-50_composition_the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-fore_14797.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/538/samuel-johnson-50_composition_the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-fore_14797.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with…” — Samuel Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Criticism is a study by which men grow important and formidable at very small expense. 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