Finding Inspiration in the Classics

 I imagine that if you have found your way here to be reading this now that you are in some way a fan of the classics - whether that be literature, poetry, music, art or any other creative outlet that has been known to stand the test of time. What I wonder though, is how many of you have consciously - and willingly - turned to the classics as a form of inspiration for your own life? 

This revelation came to me in September of 2020 when I was sick in bed with a high fever. Between bouts of sleep interspersed with much tossing and turning, somehow my mind found its way to the people of the past who had been through illness and come through it unscathed. My sickness was just a bad cold, nothing life threatening, but still it made me think. I wasn't going through anything new. People had been sick before and would be sick again. We were, however, going through a global pandemic at that time and things were very uncertain. That's when I consciously chose to turn to classic literature as a way to find inspiration on how to live my life. I have tried my best to document my thoughts and observations here on this blog, even expanding my love of the classics into art and music. My reading has diversified, from everything from Homer to Jane Austen to Agatha Christie. And I have found inspiration in it all. 

If you are curious about how to find inspiration from the classics, then first of all I suggest you browse this site :) Secondly, I recommend that you read your favourite classics with a pencil in hand. I'm not afraid of underlining favourite passages in my books, but if you are, then I suggest some little tab stickers like these to highlight a passage, or simply folding down the corner of the page (a habit of mine, I must confess!) If you are feeling particularly creative you can even write your favourite quotes down in a notebook or in a word doc. 

Thirdly, I have a couple of little books that I have found very inspiring for me also. I hope you enjoy them. If there is a book that inspires you, please share it with us all in the comments.

A Calendar of Wisdom ~ Leo Tolstoy

This book has brought me so much joy! Tolstoy did exactly what I wanted to do - he collected his favourite inspirational sayings and put them together, thematically, in one book. Each day of the year is attributed with a particular theme and the quotes come from a variety of different sources, including Tolstoy himself, the Bible, ancient Chinese wisdom, and more. 

Little Grey Cells: The Quotable Poirot ~ Agatha Christie

If you've been here before then you will know that I am a big Agatha Christie fan, and Poirot is my favourite.  This Belgian gentleman has brought so much inspiration to my life - everything from when to eat, to knowing your style and sticking to it, to that old-age adage "quantity over quality." Despite his comical appearances, Poirot does have substance and his insight into human nature has never failed to inspire. Plus who doesn't love a good moustache? 

The Pocket Treasury of Inspirational Verse 

Even if you don't find this exact book, there are many like this one that has little snippets of verse often collated together under themes. This one has headings such as Soul Love, The Beauty of Nature and The Simple Life and includes such poets as Emily Dickinson, William Wordsworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and John Donne. Beautiful, classic verse abounds in inspiration and so many of these wonderful creatives have felt things so deeply that we can still empathise and find comfort in their words today. 

The Jane Austen Companion to Life

I've written about Bryan Kozlowski's wonderful book, The Jane Austen Diet (you can read those thoughts here), but this little book is a wonderful companion on a range of life issues. Austen's favourite novels, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey are all included here. The quotes of Austen are famous, and they can be found everywhere on the Internet, but this little book is beautifully illustrated and worth a read through. 

I hope you've found a little bit of inspiration in the classics after reading this article. And remember,

    "There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere."

                                        

                                                                        ~ Mrs Grant in Mansfield Park. 

Thanks for stopping by. Please share your particular favourite form of comfort - I'd love to hear what inspires you!