Being an English Education major, I read a lot of words…a lot. Some have left lasting influences and some are easily forgotten. But nonetheless, one thing I’ve learned this semester is that words are powerful. They can build up and they can destroy. They are underestimated, yet also evaluated. Words can heal and words can hurt.

There are a lot of good words out there, but I think words from the classics are so overlooked. So here are quotes from classic books with powerful meanings:

“Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay Gold.” –S.E Hinton, The Outsiders

“Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness”- Mark Zusak, the Book Thief

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” –Oscar Wilde

“The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” –Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“For what it's worth... it's never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you've never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of, and if you're not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.” –F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

“I would rather be happy than dignified” –Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

Whenever you feel like criticizing someone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had”- F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

“I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.” -Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“Forever is composed of nows” –Emily Dickinson