Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes. Since my blog is Of Pens and Swords, I decided to do my top ten pen and sword quotes! Not all of them are from books; in fact, I’m not even sure most of them are. However, I do think the pen-sword debate is a bookish enough topic that this qualifies as a book post.
“Beneath the rule of men entirely great, the pen is mightier than the sword.”
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1839
This is the original quote, and I think the prefix condition is important. “The pen is mightier than the sword” is obviously not always a true statement, but it is when one is “beneath the rule of men entirely great.”
“Anyone who thinks the pen is mightier than the sword has not been stabbed with both.”
Lemony Snicket, When Did You See Her Last
Lemony Snicket has a quote about everything, and I love all of them. Also, this is a very astute point, though taking the expression a tad literally.
“The pen is mightier than the sword if the sword is very short and the pen is very sharp.”
Terry Pratchett
Another good point. I’d be curious to see how short the sword would have to be for this to be true.
“Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.”
Douglas MacArthur
This one’s a bit of a downer, but it is Douglas MacArthur saying it, so I really would not have expected otherwise.
“The pen is mightier than the sword if you shoot the pen out of a gun.”
Stephen Colbert
This is an interesting counterpoint to the MacArthur quote. Can you incorporate the pen and sword into automatic weapons? Let’s not find out.
“The pen is mightier than the sword, for by the sword are mortal battles wages, but by the pen entire cultures swayed.”
Ilyan Kei Lavanway
I love this quote. Of the one’s on the list that are taking the original seriously, it’s my favorite variation.
“The pen isn’t mightier than the sword. Pens don’t win battles and swords don’t write poetry. Mighty is the hand that knows when to pick the pen and when to pick the sword.”
Anonymous
I don’t have much to say about this quote. I spent ages trying to figure out who originated it, but I can’t. I do really like this take on it though.
“Whoever said ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ was an idiot.”
Isabelle Lightwood, the Shadowhunters TV Show
I was sure there had to be at least one Shadowhunters Chronicles quote about this, but apparently not? I did find this quote from the TV show (which I haven’t seen), so I guess that will have to do. I love Isabelle Lightwood. I don’t necessarily agree with her on this point in general, but if I were a Shadowhunter and actively fighting demons I probably would.
“I took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in my hand. In half a second, I held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in my hand.”
Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
How could I make a post about pens and swords and neglect mentioning Riptide? It’s so iconic that I gave it two of the spots on the list.
And finally, this brilliant pair of Magnus Chase quotes:
“A pen sword. That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Rick Riordan, The Sword of Summer
“Then he leaped out of my hand and flew towards Annabeth, his blade twitching as if he was stiffing the air.
“Where is she? Where are you hiding the babe?”
Annabeth backed towards the rail. “Whoa, there, sword. Personal space?”
“Jack, behave,” Alex said. “What are you doing?”
“She’s around here somewhere,” Jack insisted. He flew to Percy. “Aha! What’s in your pocket, sea boy?”
“Excuse me?” Percy looked a bit nervous about the magical sword hovering at his waistline.
Alex lowered his Ray-Bans. “Okay, now I’m curious. What do you have in your pocket, Percy? Enquiring swords want to know.”
Percy pulled a plain-looking ballpoint pen from his jeans. “You mean this?”
“BAM!” Jack said. “Who is this vision of loveliness?”
“Jack,” I said. “It’s a pen.”
“No, it’s not! Show me! Show me!”
“Uh … sure.” Percy uncapped the pen. Immediately it transformed into a three-foot-long sword with a leaf-shaped blade of glowing bronze.. Compared to Jack, the weapon looked delicate, almost petite, but from the way Percy wielded it I had no doubt he’d be able to hold his own on the battlefields of Valhalla with that thing.
Jack turned his point towards me, his runes flashing burgundy. “See Magnus? I told you it wasn’t stupid to carry a sword disguised as a pen!”
“Jack, I never said that!” I protested. “You did.”
Rick Riordan, The Ship of the Dead
I paired this passage with first quote for context. By including both Magnus Chase quotes, this list technically reaches 11 quotes, but I figured since the first one isn’t really the one I’m putting on the list that it would count. I loved this exchange. It’s really too long to be a quote, but the passage is hilarious enough that I thought it deserved to be included in it’s entirety.
As a side note, another quote I really wanted to include was the one where Annabeth yells at Percy for not having realized Riptide was a functional pen for several years, but I didn’t feel I could justify sticking that in as well.
Heh, I love that Lemony Snicket quote.
My post.