Change Quotes
The world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. The curves of your lips rewrite history.
"The world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. The curves of your lips rewrite history."— Oscar Wilde
Download in different sizes
Meaning of this quote
The speaker describes beauty as so powerful that it seems to transform the world. In the novel, this extravagant praise also reveals the dangerous idealization surrounding Dorian, rather than offering simple romantic advice.
Key takeaway:
Admiration can change perception, but idealization can conceal harm.
Origin of the quote
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter XX, in the expanded 1891 novel. Dorian recalls words from a letter written by someone who had loved him.
Who actually said this?
VerifiedThe wording appears in Wilde's novel. It is a fictional letter recalled within the narrative, not a documented personal declaration by Wilde.
