Deficiency Quote by Denis Diderot

Shakespeare is not our poet, but the world's.

— Walter Savage Landor

“If Shakespeare be considered as a MAN born in a rude age and educated in the lowest manner, without any instruction either from the…

— David Hume

“Shakespeare is above all writers, at least above all modern writers, the poet of nature; the poet that holds up to his readers a…

— Samuel Johnson

The true poet is called to take in the splendor of the world and for that reason will always be inclined to praise rather…

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“It is true that biographical readings of the plays are dangerous, unregulated, prone to sentimentalization. It is absurd to cherry-pick passages of poetry written…

— Charles Nicholl

Shakespeare is dangerous to young poets; they cannot but reproduce him, while they fancy that they produce themselves.

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The worst tragedy for a poet is to be admired through being misunderstood.

— Jean Cocteau

When we study Shakespeare on the page, for academic purposes, we may require all kinds of help. Generally, we read him in modern spelling…

— James Fenton

Most people, even among those who know Shakespeare well and come into real contact with his mind, are inclined to isolate and exaggerate some…

— Andrew Coyle Bradley

Our taste is too delicate and particular. It says nay to the poet's work, but never yea to his hope.

— Anonymous

“When he was in college, a famous poet made a useful distinction for him. He had drunk enough in the poet's company to be…

— John Crowley

“It is heresy to say that we shall ever again produce a poet of Shakespeare's stature, but we have faith that when the spirit…

— Alfred B. Douglas