Chapter 1: The Power of Literature

During my time in college, I enrolled in an advanced literature course centered on works by minority authors. As a lover of words, I had often found myself stuck in a cycle of reading the same texts from the same well-known authors. It was refreshing to discover new voices and immerse myself in their narratives. Yet, one particular book from that class has lingered in my mind for two decades.

Yukio Mishima’s Confessions of a Mask, published in 1949, follows the tumultuous journey of Kochan, a young boy grappling with his emerging attraction to other males. I was instantly captivated by the narrative, and although the specific details have faded over time, one line remains etched in my memory:

“No — no matter how I considered, the season was not auspicious for suicide. Instead, I was waiting for something to do me the favor of killing me. And this, in the final analysis, is the same as to say that I was waiting for something to do me the favor of keeping me alive.”

In my youth, thoughts of suicide often occupied my mind. I loved someone who battled severe depression, which resulted in multiple suicide attempts. Navigating the aftermath of those events was challenging, especially as I had not yet finished high school.

I grappled with my feelings regarding those attempts—some days, I felt a sense of responsibility; other days, I was filled with anger or desperation to help. I frequently questioned how I would cope if that person succeeded in ending their life, wondering if I might follow the same path.

However, the quote from Mishima reframed my struggles. I realized that I had never truly wished for death, even during my darkest hours. What I longed for was a breath of fresh air—a reason to keep going. I needed hope.

In moments of uncertainty, I find myself reciting these words internally: “I am waiting for something to do me the favor of keeping me alive.”

Recently, I posed the question to our readers: “What line from a poem or a book has remained with you since the moment you read it?” This prompted me to delve into the literary quotes that have profoundly impacted others:

1. “Of all the streets that blur into the sunset, There must be one (which, I am not sure) That I by now have walked for the last time…” ~ Jorge Luis Borges, “Limits”
2. “To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” ~ William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence”
3. “I’ll love you forever. I’ll like you for always. As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.” ~ Robert Munsch, Love You Forever
4. “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show…” ~ Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
5. “When love comes, say: Welcome, make yourself comfortable. When love leaves, say: Thanks for stopping by.” ~ Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye, “When Love Arrives”
6. “Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke, “Go to the Limits of your Longing”
7. “She wasn’t doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.” ~ J.D. Salinger, Catcher in the Rye
8. “Give up all the other worlds except the one to which you belong…” ~ David Whyte, “Sweet Darkness”
9. “Here is the deepest secret nobody knows…” ~ e.e. cummings, “i carry your heart with me”
10. “She was the third beer…” ~ Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
11. “If each day falls inside each night, there exists a well where clarity is imprisoned…” ~ Pablo Neruda, “The Sea and the Bells”
12. “Do not go gentle into that good night…” ~ Dylan Thomas, “Do not go gentle into that good night”
13. “I was much further out than you thought And not waving but drowning.” ~ Stevie Smith, “Not Waving but Drowning”
14. “Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of another…” ~ Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
15. “That you are here — that life exists, and identity; That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse.” ~ Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
16. “Your children are not your children…” ~ Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
17. “Alas, how easily things go wrong!” ~ George MacDonald, “Sweet Peril”
18. “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” ~ Mary Oliver, “The Summer Day”
19. “Does my sexiness upset you?” ~ Maya Angelou, “Still I Rise”
20. “The story so far: In the beginning the Universe was created…” ~ Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
21. “It matters not how strait the gate…” ~ William Ernest Henley, “Invictus”

This video titled "5 Quotes To Live by and Why | Inspirational Quotes About Life" explores impactful quotes that can provide inspiration and motivation.

Another insightful video, "7 Personal Growth Quotes that LITERALLY Changed My Life & Made Me Successful," shares transformative quotes that can lead to personal growth and success.