Wrote Quote by Edgar Allan Poe
““After all, what is it?- this indescribable something which men will persist in terming "genius"? I agree with Buffon- with Hogarth- it is but diligence after all. Look at me!- how I labored- how I toiled- how I wrote! Ye Gods, did I not write? I knew not the word "ease." By day I adhered to my desk, and at night, a pale student, I consumed the midnight oil. You should have seen me- you should. I leaned to the right. I leaned to the left. I sat forward. I sat backward. I sat tete baissee (as they have it in the Kickapoo), bowing my head close to the alabaster page. And, through all, I- wrote. Through joy and through sorrow, I-wrote. Through hunger and through thirst, I-wrote. Through good report and through ill report- I wrote. Through sunshine and through moonshine, I-wrote. What I wrote it is unnecessary to say. The style!- that was the thing. I caught it from Fatquack- whizz!- fizz!- and I am giving you a specimen of it now.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Labor of Genius”, 1845
Great creative work stems from relentless effort and perseverance, not from innate talent or effortless genius.
In simple terms: Hard work, not genius, creates art.
Commit to disciplined practice.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- writing marathons
- nighttime study
- daily writing habit
- creative workshops
- research projects
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What daily habits fuel your creativity?
- How do you stay motivated during setbacks?
Talent alone cannot replace sustained effort.