William Morris quotes

William Morris was a British designer, poet, and social activist, renowned for his influential role in the Arts and Crafts Movement. His work transformed decorative arts and championed traditional craftsmanship in response to industrialization. He inspired generations through his artistic creations and advocacy for social reform. Here are 152 of his quotes:

I do not want art for a few any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few. (William Morris)
I pondered all these things, and how men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes turns out not to be what they meant, and other men have to fight for what they meant under another name. View quote
William Morris
The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life. View quote
William Morris
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. View quote
William Morris
So long as the system of competition in the production and exchange of the means of life goes on, the degradation of the arts will go on; and if that system is to last for ever, then art is doomed, and will surely die; that is to say, civilization will die. View quote
William Morris
History has remembered the kings and warriors, because they destroyed; art has remembered the people, because they created. View quote
William Morris
I love art, and I love history, but it is living art and living history that I love. It is in the interest of living art and living history that I oppose so-called restoration. What history can there be in a building bedaubed with ornament, which cannot at the best be anything but a hopeless and lifeless imitation of the hope and vigor of the earlier world. View quote
William Morris
So I say, if you cannot learn to love real art; at least learn to hate sham art and reject it. View quote
William Morris
It is right and necessary that all men should have work to do which shall be worth doing, and be of itself pleasant to do and which should he done under such conditions as would make it neither over-wearisome nor over-anxious. View quote
William Morris
Earth, left silent by the wind of night, Seems shrunken 'neath the gray unmeasured height. View quote
William Morris
Nothing should be made by man's labour which is not worth making; or which must be made by labour degrading to the makers. (William Morris)
The wind is not helpless for any man's need, Nor falleth the rain but for thistle and weed. View quote
William Morris
Slayer of the Winter, art thou here again? O welcome, thou that bring'st the Summer nigh! The bitter wind makes not thy victory vain, Nor will we mock thee for thy faint blue sky. View quote
William Morris
A world made to be lost, - A bitter life 'twixt pain and nothing tost. View quote
William Morris
...what I mean by Socialism is a condition of society in which there should be neither rich nor poor, neither master nor master's man, neither idle nor overworked, neither brain­slack brain workers, nor heart­sick hand workers, in a word, in which all men would be living in equality of condition, and would manage their affairs unwastefully, and with the full consciousness that harm to one would mean harm to all-the realisation at last of the meaning of the word commonwealth. View quote
William Morris
From out the throng and stress of lies, From out the painful noise of sighs, One voice of comfort seems to rise: "It is the meaner part that dies." View quote
William Morris
The past is not dead, it is living in us, and will be alive in the future which we are now helping to make. View quote
William Morris
Apart from the desire to produce beautiful things, the leading passion of my life has been and is hatred of modern civilization. View quote
William Morris
Late February days; and now, at last, Might you have thought that Winter's woe was past; So fair the sky was and so soft the air. View quote
William Morris
With the arrogance of youth, I determined to do no less than to transform the world with Beauty. If I have succeeded in some small way, if only in one small corner of the world, amongst the men and women I love, then I shall count myself blessed, and blessed, and blessed, and the work goes on. View quote
William Morris
O thrush, your song is passing sweet But never a song that you have sung, Is half so sweet as thrushes sang When my dear Love and I were young. (William Morris)
I have said as much as that the aim of art was to destroy the curse of labour by making work the pleasurable satisfaction of our impulse towards energy, and giving to that energy hope of producing something worth its exercise. View quote
William Morris
To happy folk All heaviest words no more of meaning bear Than far-off bells saddening the Summer air. View quote
William Morris
It is for him that is lonely or in prison to dream of fellowship, but for him that is of a fellowship to do and not to dream. View quote
William Morris
Beauty, which is what is meant by art, using the word in its widest sense, is, I contend, no mere accident to human life, which people can take or leave as they choose, but a positive necessity of life. View quote
William Morris