Quotes can be tricky when you’re writing. Sometimes, you see them in italics, and other times they aren’t. It can be confusing to know when to use italics for quotes and when not to. This style choice is important because it helps make your writing clearer and more professional. Understanding the rules around italicizing quotes can help you communicate better in your essays, stories, or even social media posts.
Today, we will look at the reasons for italicizing quotes and when it’s best to leave them in regular text. By the end, you’ll have a better sense of how to use quotes in your writing. This way, you can impress your teachers or friends with your polished writing skills!
Should Quotes Be Italicized
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” – Rudyard Kipling
This quote reflects the strength that words can have in our lives. They can uplift, inspire, or even hurt us deeply. Italicizing quotes can help emphasis certain phrases, giving them a more striking presence on the page. It’s a way to draw attention and let the reader feel the weight of those words. We have all experienced powerful words that resonate with us and stick in our minds, so using italics can help to highlight that impact.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
This quote speaks to passion and dedication in our endeavors. When we’re writing and quoting someone, italicized quotes stand out and can portray the significance of those words. Passionate quotes invite readers to feel and reflect, so the choice to italicize them supports this emotional connection. It encourages us to chase our dreams and fuels the love we have for our work.
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston S. Churchill
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” – Sam Levenson
“We become what we think about.” – Earl Nightingale
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
“In order to carry a positive action, we must develop here a positive vision.” – Dalai Lama
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” – Roy T. Bennett
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
“Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” – Walt Whitman
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” – Robert Frost
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” – Dalai Lama
“What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” – Plutarch
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” – Winston S. Churchill
“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” – Og Mandino
“Good things come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” – Booker T. Washington
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.” – Grandma Moses
“To do anything, you must be brave.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” – Buddha
“What we think, we become.” – Buddha
“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.” – Suzy Kassem
“You can never have a happy ending if you don’t have a story.” – J.K. Rowling
“The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.” – Charles Kingsleigh
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” – Ronald Reagan
“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou
Final Thoughts
Quotes can profoundly affect us, serving as reminders of important truths and guiding principles in our lives. Choosing to italicize certain quotes can help amplify their impact, making the words resonate with readers in a more meaningful way. We have the power to create positive change and embrace our unique paths, using the wisdom from these influential individuals as our guiding light.
Let’s carry the lessons we’ve explored and use them to uplift ourselves and those around us. When we emphasize the encouraging words of others, we not only honor their messages but also cultivate an environment where empathy and inspiration thrive.
If you’re eager to discover more inspiring quotes, take a look at these Shakespeare quotes on life and love or explore Shakespeare quotes about friendship to deepen your appreciation for the power of words.