447 online
 
Most Popular Choices
View Quotations by:     Authors     Subjects     Tag     Country     Date Range

H. L. Mencken Quotations

Search for an Author:

Browse our list of 1204 quotation authors by Last Name:
A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z  

H. L. Mencken
9/1880-10/1956 (Age at death: 76)

Henry Louis "H. L." Mencken (September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956), was an American journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, acerbic critic of American life and culture, and a student of American English.[1] Mencken, known as the "Sage of Baltimore", is regarded as one of the most influential American writers and prose stylists of the first half of the 20th century.

Mencken is known for writing The American Language, a multi-volume study of how the English language is spoken in the United States, and for his satirical reporting on the Scopes trial, which he named the "Monkey" trial. In addition to his literary accomplishments, Mencken was known for his controversial ideas. An opponent of World War II[citation needed] and democracy,[2] Mencken wrote a huge number of articles about current events, books, music, prominent politicians, pseudo-intellectuals, temperance and uplifters. He notably attacked ignorance, intolerance, frauds, fundamentalist Christianity, osteopathy, and chiropractic.[3] Source: Wikipedia

3 Quotation(s) Total:

     Page 1 of 1

Civilization, in fact, grows more and more maudlin and hysterical; especially under democracy it tends to degenerate into a mere combat of crazes; the whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by and endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.
[full quote]   [add comments]   [Rate]   [Share]

H. L. Mencken

In the United States, doing good has come to be, like patriotism, a favorite device of persons with something to sell.

[full quote]   [add comments]   [Rate]   [Share]

H. L. Mencken

It is not materialism that is the chief curse of the world, but idealism. Men get into trouble by taking their visions and hallucinations too seriously.

[full quote]   [add comments]   [Rate]   [Share]

H. L. Mencken

View Author Page at Wikipedia

Search for H. L. Mencken at Amazon.com

Go to List of Authors

Tell A Friend