--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is an inimitable grace in Virgil's…" description: "\"There is an inimitable grace in Virgil's words, and in them principally consists that beauty which gives so inexpressible a pleasure to him who best un..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/john-dryden-491_beauty_there-is-an-inimitable-grace-in-virgil-s_1606333.jpg" --- # There is an inimitable grace in Virgil's words, and in… ![“There is an inimitable grace in Virgil's words, and in them principally consists that beauty which gives so inexpressible a pleasure to him who best understands their force. This diction of his, I must once again say, is never to be copied; and since it cannot, he will appear but lame in the best…” quote by John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/john-dryden-491_beauty_there-is-an-inimitable-grace-in-virgil-s_1606333.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/john-dryden-491_beauty_there-is-an-inimitable-grace-in-virgil-s_1606333.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93a/john-dryden-491_beauty_there-is-an-inimitable-grace-in-virgil-s_1606333.jpg) > “There is an inimitable grace in Virgil's words, and in them principally consists that beauty which gives so inexpressible a pleasure to him who best understands their force. This diction of his, I must once again say, is never to be copied; and since it cannot, he will appear but lame in the best translation.” [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dryden argues that Virgil's unique style and profound beauty cannot be faithfully reproduced, and attempts to copy it result in inferior work. **In simple terms:** Virgil's style is uncopyable and unique. Key Takeaway Respect originality; avoid imitation. Themes literature translation originality Mood reflective appreciative Type critical literary When to use this quote - translation projects - literary criticism - creative writing Key Concepts aesthetic theory authenticity Questions to Reflect On - Is perfect translation possible? - What makes a text uncopyable? A Different Perspective Some may claim skilled translators can capture essence despite differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Diction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diction/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grace/) [Nature of Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-beauty/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Translations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translations/) ## Related quotes > [“It started slow and hit her with the force of a sledgehammer, a cataclysm of such power she could only hold on to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-stuart/it-started-slow-and-hit-her-with-the-force-of-a-sledgehammer-a/) [Anne Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-stuart/) > [Virgil, above all poets, had a stock which I may call almost inexhaustible, of figurative, elegant, and sounding words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/virgil-above-all-poets-had-a-stock-which-i-may-call-almost/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Virgil is so exact in every word, that none can be changed but for a worse; nor any one removed from its place, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/virgil-is-so-exact-in-every-word-that-none-can-be-changed-but-for-a/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [Greece, sound, thy Homer's, Rome thy Virgil's name, But England's Milton equals both in fame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/greece-sound-thy-homer-s-rome-thy-virgil-s-name-but-england-s-milton/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Roman Virgil, thou that singest Ilion's lofty temples robed in fire,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-tennyson/roman-virgil-thou-that-singest-ilion-s-lofty-temples-robed-in-fire/) [Alfred Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-tennyson/) > [“I am Aeneas, duty-bound, and known Above high air of heaven by my fame. -AM #CymruAMbyth”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aeneas-middleton/i-am-aeneas-duty-bound-and-known-above-high-air-of-heaven-by-my-fame/) Aeneas Middleton > [“Certainly, if money could have been raised upon the book, Robert Herrick would long ago have sacrificed that last possession: but the demand for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/certainly-if-money-could-have-been-raised-upon-the-book-robert/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [Virgil has had a big impact on the whole defence but it starts at the front, we put pressure on the opponent. 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