William Hazlitt Biography

William Hazlitt, Critic
Occup.Critic
FromEngland
BornApril 10, 1778
England
DiedSeptember 18, 1830
London, England
CauseStroke
Aged52 years
Early Life and Education
William Hazlitt was born on April 10, 1778, in Maidstone, Kent, England. He was the kid of a Unitarian minister and spent parts of his childhood in Ireland and the United States before returning to England. Hazlitt's education was largely affected by his direct exposure to philosophical and intellectual ideas through his daddy and the Unitarian community. He went to a Unitarian seminary, Hackney College, for a time but did not complete his research studies there. His early experiences prepared for his lifelong pursuit of philosophy and literature.

Profession Beginnings and Philosophical Interests
Initially, Hazlitt desired be a painter, and in 1802, he traveled to Paris to study art and immerse himself in the works of masters like Titian and Raphael. However, he quickly discovered that his true enthusiasm lay in the written word. By the early 1800s, he had shifted his focus to composing and began making up philosophical works, essays, and reviews. His early works showed his interest in the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers, especially those of David Hartley and John Locke.

Literary Criticism and Essays
Hazlitt's reputation as a critic and author was cemented with the publication of his major works, such as The Characters of Shakespeare's Plays (1817) and Lectures on the English Poets (1818). These works showcased his ability to mix incisive criticism with a deep gratitude for literature and art. He likewise contributed to different regulars, where his essays covered a large range of topics from politics to social concerns, showing his keen observations and passionate design.

Personal Relationships and Influences
Throughout his life, Hazlitt formed relationships with other popular literary figures of his time, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, and Charles Lamb. His relationship with Coleridge was especially substantial, as it influenced both males's concepts and writings, though it ultimately soured due to differing philosophical views and personal issues. Despite falling-outs with some contemporaries, Hazlitt preserved a robust circle of intellectual and creative good friends and acquaintances who contributed to the dynamic cultural life of early 19th-century England.

Later Life and Legacy
Later in life, Hazlitt dealt with monetary problems and personal challenges, partially due to his tempestuous relationships and a stopped working marriage. In spite of these difficulties, he continued to write prolifically. One of his substantial later works, * The Spirit of the Age * (1825), captures his reflections on the leading political and literary figures of his time. Hazlitt died on September 18, 1830, in Soho, London.

Influence and Recognition
Though he battled with acknowledgment throughout his lifetime, Hazlitt's contributions to literary criticism and essay writing have actually had a long lasting effect. His capability to interweave elements of individual reflection, sharp analysis, and significant prose has actually inspired generations of writers and critics who followed. Today, Hazlitt is considered as one of the best English authors, kept in mind for his insightful technique to literature and extensive understanding of human nature.


Our collection contains 93 quotes who is written / told by William, under the main topics: Words of Wisdom - Travel.

Related authors: John Locke (Philosopher), Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Poet), William Wordsworth (Poet), Sydney Smith (Clergyman), Charles Lamb (Critic), Thomas Hood (Poet), Philo (Philosopher), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete)

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Q: Hazlitt pronunciation
    A: Hazlitt is pronounced as 'HAZ-lit.'
  • Q: Hazlitt Economics
    A: Refers to Henry Hazlitt, an economist known for his book 'Economics in One Lesson,' not William Hazlitt.
  • Q: Hazlitt meaning
    A: Hazlitt typically refers to William Hazlitt, an English essayist, or Henry Hazlitt, an American economist.
  • Q: William Hazlitt death cause
    A: William Hazlitt died of stomach cancer on September 18, 1830.
  • Q: William Hazlitt poems
    A: William Hazlitt was primarily an essayist and critic, not a poet. He did not write poetry.
  • Q: How old was William Hazlitt?
    A: He became 52 years old
Source / external links:

93 Famous quotes by William Hazlitt

Small: Man is a make-believe animal: he is never so truly himself as when he is acting a part
"Man is a make-believe animal: he is never so truly himself as when he is acting a part"
Small: The seat of knowledge is in the head, of wisdom, in the heart
"The seat of knowledge is in the head, of wisdom, in the heart"
Small: A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles
"A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles"
Small: You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world
"You know more of a road by having traveled it than by all the conjectures and descriptions in the world"
Small: Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul
"Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul"
Small: Everything is in motion. Everything flows. Everything is vibrating
"Everything is in motion. Everything flows. Everything is vibrating"
Small: Every man, in his own opinion, forms an exception to the ordinary rules of morality
"Every man, in his own opinion, forms an exception to the ordinary rules of morality"
Small: An honest man speaks the truth, though it may give offence a vain man, in order that it may
"An honest man speaks the truth, though it may give offence; a vain man, in order that it may"
Small: Rules and models destroy genius and art
"Rules and models destroy genius and art"
Small: The person whose doors I enter with most pleasure, and quit with most regret, never did me the smallest
"The person whose doors I enter with most pleasure, and quit with most regret, never did me the smallest favor"
Small: Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts
"Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts"
Small: Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul
"Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul"
Small: There is nothing good to be had in the country, or if there is, they will not let you have it
"There is nothing good to be had in the country, or if there is, they will not let you have it"
Small: The smallest pain in our little finger gives us more concern than the destruction of millions of our fe
"The smallest pain in our little finger gives us more concern than the destruction of millions of our fellow beings"
Small: The seat of knowledge is in the head of wisdom, in the heart. We are sure to judge wrong, if we do not
"The seat of knowledge is in the head; of wisdom, in the heart. We are sure to judge wrong, if we do not feel right"
Small: Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps for he is the only animal that is struck with the differen
"Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they ought to be"
Small: Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves
"Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves"
Small: The true barbarian is he who thinks everything barbarous but his own tastes and prejudices
"The true barbarian is he who thinks everything barbarous but his own tastes and prejudices"
Small: The most insignificant people are the most apt to sneer at others. They are safe from reprisals.
"The most insignificant people are the most apt to sneer at others. They are safe from reprisals. And have no hope of rising in their own self esteem but by lowering their neighbors"
Small: The humblest painter is a true scholar and the best of scholars the scholar of nature
"The humblest painter is a true scholar; and the best of scholars the scholar of nature"
Small: Life is the art of being well deceived and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual
"Life is the art of being well deceived; and in order that the deception may succeed it must be habitual and uninterrupted"
Small: If the world were good for nothing else, it is a fine subject for speculation
"If the world were good for nothing else, it is a fine subject for speculation"
Small: Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity
"Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity"
Small: Grace in women has more effect than beauty
"Grace in women has more effect than beauty"
Small: Good temper is one of the greatest preservers of the features
"Good temper is one of the greatest preservers of the features"
Small: A scholar is like a book written in a dead language. It is not every one that can read in it
"A scholar is like a book written in a dead language. It is not every one that can read in it"
Small: A hair in the head is worth two in the brush
"A hair in the head is worth two in the brush"
Small: A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one - they show one another off to the best adva
"A grave blockhead should always go about with a lively one - they show one another off to the best advantage"
Small: Few things tend more to alienate friendship than a want of punctuality in our engagements. I have known
"Few things tend more to alienate friendship than a want of punctuality in our engagements. I have known the breach of a promise to dine or sup to break up more than one intimacy"
Small: Dandyism is a variety of genius
"Dandyism is a variety of genius"
Small: Almost every sect of Christianity is a perversion of its essence, to accommodate it to the prejudices o
"Almost every sect of Christianity is a perversion of its essence, to accommodate it to the prejudices of the world"
Small: Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food
"Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food"
Small: When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest
"When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to be a subject of interest"
Small: To be happy, we must be true to nature and carry our age along with us
"To be happy, we must be true to nature and carry our age along with us"
Small: To a superior race of being the pretensions of mankind to extraordinary sanctity and virtue must seem..
"To a superior race of being the pretensions of mankind to extraordinary sanctity and virtue must seem... ridiculous"
Small: Those who make their dress a principal part of themselves, will, in general, become of no more value th
"Those who make their dress a principal part of themselves, will, in general, become of no more value than their dress"
Small: Envy among other ingredients has a mixture of the love of justice in it. We are more angry at undeserve
"Envy among other ingredients has a mixture of the love of justice in it. We are more angry at undeserved than at deserved good-fortune"
Small: As is our confidence, so is our capacity
"As is our confidence, so is our capacity"
Small: Zeal will do more than knowledge
"Zeal will do more than knowledge"
Small: Without the aid of prejudice and custom, I should not be able to find my way across the room
"Without the aid of prejudice and custom, I should not be able to find my way across the room"
Small: We often choose a friend as we do a mistress - for no particular excellence in themselves, but merely f
"We often choose a friend as we do a mistress - for no particular excellence in themselves, but merely from some circumstance that flatters our self-love"
Small: To think ill of mankind and not wish ill to them, is perhaps the highest wisdom and virtue
"To think ill of mankind and not wish ill to them, is perhaps the highest wisdom and virtue"
Small: Prejudice is the child of ignorance
"Prejudice is the child of ignorance"
Small: Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust hatred alone is immortal
"Love turns, with a little indulgence, to indifference or disgust; hatred alone is immortal"
Small: Even in the common affairs of life, in love, friendship, and marriage, how little security have we when
"Even in the common affairs of life, in love, friendship, and marriage, how little security have we when we trust our happiness in the hands of others!"
Small: Dr. Johnson was a lazy learned man who liked to think and talk better than to read or write who, howeve
"Dr. Johnson was a lazy learned man who liked to think and talk better than to read or write; who, however, wrote much and well, but too often by rote"
Small: Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other peoples weaknesses
"Cunning is the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people's weaknesses"
Small: Anyone who has passed though the regular gradations of a classical education, and is not made a fool by
"Anyone who has passed though the regular gradations of a classical education, and is not made a fool by it, may consider himself as having had a very narrow escape"
Small: To be remembered after we are dead, is but poor recompense for being treated with contempt while we are
"To be remembered after we are dead, is but poor recompense for being treated with contempt while we are living"
Small: The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases
"The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases"
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