Francis Bacon · “Of Beauty” (1625) — via Edgar Allan Poe
“There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness.”
| Source | Francis Bacon, “Of Beauty,” Essays (1625) |
| Via | Edgar Allan Poe, “Ligeia” (1838) — quoted with credit |
| Correction | Poe attributed the line to Bacon explicitly; the internet later dropped Bacon’s name |
Every quote here is traced to a documented source. How we verify →
About This Line
In “Ligeia” (1838), Poe wrote it as a quotation, naming his source outright: “There is no exquisite beauty,” says Bacon, Lord Verulam… The words are Bacon’s, from his essay “Of Beauty” (1625). Poe was the messenger — and over time the internet quietly deleted the messenger’s credit and kept his name.
Why We Carry This Line
Here’s the honest version: Poe didn’t write this — he quoted Bacon and said so. The internet dropped Bacon’s name; we put it back. The correction is the point. And the wonderful design which I envisioned from the start makes it special.
