Books
24 Literary Text Tattoos Inspired by Moving Words From Books
Our favorite stories and poems become part of us in a very personal way. When we find words that explain us, inspire us, and tell our truths, we hold onto them tightly — and sometimes, we want to hold onto 'em forever. That's where tattoos come in: the ultimate permanent accessory. It isn't surprising that so many people have chosen to use their bodies to pay homage to their most-loved words from lit.
I found 24 absolutely beautiful literature-inspired text tattoos, drawn from passages by authors like Harper Lee, Suzanne Collins, Maya Angelou — it's an amazing range. The text comes alive on the canvas of skin: You just have to see it for yourself...like this Shel Silverstein tattoo above!
If you are a dreamer, come in.If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer...If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire,For we have some flax golden tales to spin.Come in!Come in!
Image: karmanrh/Instagram
"Howl" by Allen Ginsberg
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness,
starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking
for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking
in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats floating
across the tops of cities contemplating jazz…
Image: toni_semi_raw/Instagram
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates
Dorie herself was not very surprised, because a daydreamer is prepared for most things and in a way she had planned even this, though she had not guessed how it would come about.
Image: thegirlwithbluehair/Instagram
'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll
“Curiouser and curiouser!” cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English).
Image: jlen24/Instagram
'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll
The Mad Hatter: “Have I gone mad?”
Alice: “I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”
Image: subear/I
'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
Image: superawesometattoos/Instagram
"How Is Your Heart?" by Charles Bukowski
and to walk across the floor
to an old dresser with a
cracked mirror-
see myself, ugly,
grinning at it all.
what matters most is
how well you
walk through the
fire.
Image: superawesometattoos/Instagram
'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins
Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.
Image: jessdee_x/ Instagram
'To Kill A Mockingbird' by Harper Lee
I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.
'To Kill A Mockingbird' by Harper Lee
Atticus said no, it wasn’t that sort of thing, that there were other ways of making people into ghosts.
Image: jorganic/Instagram
'The Dark is Rising' by Susan Cooper
On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift — that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.
Image: rob_spradlin/Instagram
"Walk Lightly" by J. Patrick Lewis
Make the Earth your companion.
Walk lightly on it, as other creatures do.
Let the Sky paint her beauty—she is always
watching over you.
Image: selenamaed/Instagram
'Hamlet' by Shakespeare
This business is well ended.My liege, and madam, to expostulateWhat majesty should be, what duty is,Why day is day, night night, and time is time,Were nothing but to waste night, day and time.Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,I will be brief: your noble son is mad:Mad call I it; for, to define true madness,What is’t but to be nothing else but mad?But let that go.
Image:litographs/Instagram
"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Image: nathan_rodrigu3z/Instagram
'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald
So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back, ceaselessly into the past.
Image: christinahummel/ Instagram
"Summer and Spring" by William Butler Yeats
We sat under an old thorn-treeAnd talked away the night,Told all that had been said or doneSince first we saw the light,And when we talked of growing upKnew that we’d halved a soulAnd fell the one in t’other’s armsThat we might make it whole;Then peter had a murdering look,For it seemed that he and sheHad spoken of their childish daysUnder that very tree.O what a bursting out there was,And what a blossoming,When we had all the summer-timeAnd she had all the spring!
Image: crippledsocially/Instagram
"The Laughing Heart" by Charles Bukowski
your life is your lifedon’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.be on the watch.there are ways out.there is light somewhere.it may not be much light butit beats the darkness.
Image: jennawilson47/Instagram
'House of Leaves' by Mark Z. Danielewski
'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta. She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock.
Image: andrearr_/Instagram
'Slaughterhouse-Five' by Kurt Vonnegut
'The Gunslinger' by Stephen King
Lemony Snicket's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'
When we grab you by the anklesWhere our mark is to be madeyou’ll soon be doing noble workAlthough you won’t be paidWhen we drive away in secretYou’ll be a volunteerSo don’t scream where we take you;The world is quiet here.
Image: _eeish/Instagram
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Elloit
Do I dareDisturb the universe?In a minute there is timeFor decisions and revisions which in a moment will reverse.
Image: typhoidandswans/Instagram
