Literary Quotes to Inspire You in the New Year

The New Year is a time of celebration, reflection, and anticipation. It is a time to look back at the past year and appreciate what we have learned, achieved, and overcome. It is also a time to look forward to the future and imagine what we can create, discover, and change. The New Year is a time to renew our hopes, dreams, and aspirations, and to embrace the possibilities that lie ahead.

To inspire you in the New Year, I have compiled (with some help) a list of literary quotes that capture the essence of this special occasion. These quotes are from some of the most renowned poets, writers, and thinkers of all time, and they offer insights, wisdom, and encouragement for the new year. Whether you are looking for motivation, inspiration, or guidance, these quotes will help you start the new year with a positive and optimistic mindset.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

“Ring out the old, ring in the new, / Ring, happy bells, across the snow: / The year is going, let him go; / Ring out the false, ring in the true.”

This quote is from Tennyson’s poem “In Memoriam A.H.H.”, which he wrote as a tribute to his friend Arthur Henry Hallam, who died suddenly at the age of 22. The poem is a reflection on grief, loss, and faith, but it also contains a message of hope and renewal. Tennyson urges us to let go of the old and embrace the new, to discard the false and uphold the true, and to welcome the new year with joy and gratitude. This quote reminds us that the new year is an opportunity to start afresh, to leave behind the past, and to move forward with honesty and integrity.

Rainer Maria Rilke

“And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that never were.”

This quote is from Rilke’s “Letters to a Young Poet”, a collection of ten letters that he wrote to a young aspiring poet named Franz Xaver Kappus. In these letters, Rilke offers advice, guidance, and encouragement to Kappus, and shares his views on art, life, and love. This quote expresses the excitement and mystery of facing a year full of unknowns and new possibilities. Rilke invites us to welcome the new year with curiosity and wonder, and to embrace the things that never were, the things that we can create, discover, and change in the new year.

T.S. Eliot

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language / And next year’s words await another voice.”

This quote is from Eliot’s poem “Little Gidding”, the last of his four “Four Quartets”. The poem is a meditation on time, history, and spirituality, and it explores the themes of death, rebirth, and redemption. This quote suggests that each year gives us a new language and a new voice, an opportunity to change how we express ourselves and interact with the world. Eliot challenges us to find new words, new meanings, and new perspectives in the new year, and to use our voice to make a positive difference.

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

This quote is from Pierce, a twentieth-century American poet and pacifist. She is best known for her poem “No One Can Save Us But Ourselves”, which advocates for peace and social justice. This quote highlights the idea of the new year as a blank slate, an opportunity to shape our destiny with our actions. Pierce encourages us to see the new year as a book, a story that we can write ourselves, and to fill its pages with words of hope, courage, and creativity.

Neil Gaiman

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world.”

This quote is from Gaiman, a British author of fantasy, science fiction, and comic books. He is best known for his novels “American Gods”, “Coraline”, and “The Graveyard Book”, among others. This quote emphasizes the importance of making mistakes as part of growth and learning in the new year. Gaiman urges us to see mistakes as opportunities, not failures, and to use them as catalysts for innovation, experimentation, and transformation. He inspires us to make new things, try new things, learn new things, and change ourselves and our world in the new year.

Charles Dickens

“A new heart for a New Year, always!”

This quote is from Dickens, one of the most famous and influential writers of the Victorian era. He is best known for his novels “A Tale of Two Cities”, “Great Expectations”, and “A Christmas Carol”, among others. This quote is from his novel “The Chimes”, a story about a poor porter named Trotty Veck, who is visited by the spirits of the bells on New Year’s Eve. The spirits show him visions of the past, present, and future, and teach him a lesson about social justice and human compassion. This quote reflects the idea of internal renewal and change, and the need to have a new heart, a new attitude, and a new outlook in the new year.

Oprah Winfrey

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”

This quote is from Winfrey, one of the most influential and successful media personalities of all time. She is best known for her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, which ran for 25 years and reached millions of viewers around the world. She is also a philanthropist, a producer, and an author. This quote expresses the concept of the new year giving us another chance to improve and get things right. Winfrey acknowledges that we are not perfect, and that we make mistakes, but she also reminds us that we have the power to change, to grow, and to do better in the new year.

William Shakespeare

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day.”

This quote is from Shakespeare, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is best known for his plays, such as “Hamlet”, “Macbeth”, and “Romeo and Juliet”, among others. This quote is from his play “Macbeth”, and it is spoken by Macbeth, the tragic hero who becomes a tyrant after killing King Duncan. Macbeth utters these words after learning of his wife’s death, and he expresses his despair and nihilism about life. This quote can be used to discuss the relentless passage of time and the importance of making the most of each day. Shakespeare warns us not to waste our time, to live in the present, and to act with purpose and meaning in the new year.

Brad Paisley

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.”

This quote is from Paisley, an American country music singer and songwriter. He is best known for his songs “Whiskey Lullaby”, “She’s Everything”, and “Remind Me”, among others. He has won numerous awards, including three Grammys, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 14 Country Music Association Awards. This quote encourages us to approach the new year as authors of our own lives, writing a positive and fulfilling story. Paisley motivates us to see the new year as a blank page, a fresh start, and a chance to write a good book, a book that reflects our values, goals, and passions.

Anais Nin

“We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present.”

This quote is from Nin, a French-American writer and diarist. She is best known for her journals, which span more than 60 years and cover various aspects of her personal and professional life. She is also known for her novels, such as “Delta of Venus”, “Henry and June”, and “The Four-Chambered Heart”, among others. This quote offers a perspective on personal growth, highlighting that it is an ongoing, non-linear process. Nin suggests that we grow in different ways, at different times, and in different areas of our lives. She also implies that the past, present, and future are not separate, but interconnected, and that they influence our growth in different directions. She invites us to embrace the complexity and diversity of our growth in the new year.

These literary quotes are from some of the most renowned poets, writers, and thinkers of all time, and they offer insights, wisdom, and encouragement for the new year. Whether you are looking for motivation, inspiration, or guidance, these quotes will help you start the new year with a positive and optimistic mindset.

I wish you a happy and prosperous new year!

*Images: Unsplash