"Life comes before literature, as the material always comes before the work. The hills are full of marble before the world blooms with statues"

This quote by Phillips Brooks is a pointer that life is the foundation of literature. It is the product of life that gives the inspiration as well as the raw product for literature. The quote is a metaphor for this concept, contrasting life to marble in capitals. The marble is there, waiting to be formed and crafted right into something attractive. Likewise, life is the product that must be experienced and interpreted prior to it can be revealed in literature. The quote is a tip that life need to precede, prior to literary works can be developed. It is just via living that we can produce meaningful jobs of literary works.