Dickens Quote by Charles Dickens
““A DINNER AT POPLAR WALK This is the first published work of Charles Dickens, which appeared in the Monthly Magazine in December 1833. It was later retitled Mr. Minns and His Cousin and can also be found in Sketches by Boz. However, since it is the beginning of the great writer’s oeuvre, it is presented at the very front of this collection. In reading this short story, we can at once detect the inimitable nature of Dickensian writing: varied characters, telling human and social understanding and, of course, hilarious comedy. Here is an account by Dickens, explaining how he felt when first publishing this story: “...my first copy of the Magazine in which my first effusion - dropped stealthily one evening at twilight, with fear and trembling, into a dark letter-box, in a dark office, up a dark court in Fleet Street - appeared in all the glory of print; on which memorable occasion - how well I recollect it! - I walked down to Westminster Hall, and turned into it for half-an-hour, because my eyes were so dimmed with joy and pride, that they could not””
About This Quote
Source Short Story: “A Dinner at Poplar Walk” (Monthly Magazine, 1833)
Dickens felt intense pride and joy when his first published story appeared, reflecting the excitement of early literary success.
In simple terms: Dickens was proud of his first published story.
Celebrate early achievements.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- first publication
- public reception
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How did this early success shape his later writing?
- What emotions accompany a first public achievement?
Success can bring both exhilaration and anxiety about future work.