Literary, Lyrical and Poetic Tattoos

Inspiration

2010-12-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

2010-12-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

You might recognise the one above it as one I submitted to you when your blog first started, eventually I plan to have an entire half sleeve done with just quotes from various different books I love, its a work in progress and I will continue to submit the work to you as I get it done.

'I talk of dreams' is a line from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet;

Act I Scene IV

Romeo: Peace, peace, Mercutio, peace!
Thou talk'st of nothing.

Mercutio: True, I talk of dreams,

Which are the children of an idle brain,

Begot of nothing but vain fantasy,

Which is as thin of substance as the air,

And more inconstant than the wind

Who woos even now the frozen bosom of the North,

And, being angered, puffs away from thence,

Turning his side to the dew-dropping South

Mercutio is my favourite of all Shakespeare's characters, this quote reminds me of the play and the character as well as my own day dreaming nature. It helps me remember to keep my feet on the ground.

No submissions

2010-11-28T18:09:00.001-08:00

Hey subscribers! Spread the word! I haven't gotten any submissions for a few months now, and unless I do, I will be forced to delete the blog!

:(

Tennyson

2010-10-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

I have always been a lover of Tennyson and find that the last line of his poem "Ulysses" has stood as my life mantra for quite a long time. I feel as thought they are 10 of the most perfectly placed words in the English language to convey my entire life philosophy. Bukowski once said "An intellectual is a man who says a simple thing in a difficult way; an artist is a man who says a difficult thing in a simple way." I think that this last line of "Ulysses" encompasses my entire life into just a few simple words. I had the tattoo facing me so that I will forever be forced to look at it and so that it will be a constant reminder for me "to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield". I will die a happy man with this stamped on my arm.

The United States Constitution

2010-09-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

My name is Dom and i got "We the People" on my inner bicep. it is one piece of literature most people forget about, The United States Constitution. Without the first amendment, none of us would have any of these tattoos. None of the books or poems or stories we draw our art from would have been created, and these tattoos would be nonexistent. My love for this nation goes beyond getting a tattoo of an eagle or a flag. the first three words of our constitution is enough to remind me how blessed and privileged i am to be born and raised in this great nation. the word "WE" exemplifies the unity and pride that true patriots have. I got this tattoo by ELLE SPARKS in South Brunswick, NJ.

Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird

2010-09-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Tate and my tattoo is of a mockingbird with the words "delete the adjectives" around it.

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus tells Scout to "delete the adjectives and you'd have the facts"
This quote and my tattoo remind me to stay true to myself and to others in both my actions and words.

I've seen another tattoo with this quote and since TKAM is my favorite book and Atticus is my favorite character, I'd use the quote too.

It was done by Raul at Sailors World Famous Tattoos in Wichita, KS.

John Lennon

2010-09-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

I got it a few days before my high school graduation, when I was 18 (the first picture was taken at my graduation, hence the robe). I've been a lifelong diehard Beatles fan. At some point, so long ago I don't remember when, I grew a special affinity for John Lennon. I like each of the Beatles for different reasons. I love John because of his acerbic wit and supreme talent. When I got into his solo stuff, I learned all about his activism, and I admired him that much more. What clinched it was watching the documentary "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" all about his continued political activism in the face of deportation threats from the Nixon administration. He continued to speak out against the war in Vietnam and promote peace even though being shipped back to England was a very real threat. He actually had Nixon scared because Nixon knew Lennon had the power to influence many voters. I'm a fan of his for so many reasons, and this tattoo is dedicated to a man who the world lost way, way too soon. Thankfully, his creative genius will live on forever in his works.

I'm 21 now, a college student at the University of New Hampshire, and still love this tattoo as much as the day I got it. I love having Lennon with me wherever I go; he's a reminder to never, ever let anybody deter you from speaking your mind and standing up for what's right.

(Submitted by Samantha)

My friends and I are kooky, and decided it would be fun to decorate John for the holidays. So these are from last Halloween and Christmas. I think John had a festive spirit.

The Beatles

2010-08-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

This tattoo was done for a couple reasons. First of all, I got it about 2 months before I got married. My fiance was in basic training and tech school through most of our engagement (but we had been together for 5 years before getting engaged), so we were missing each other a lot! I wanted to get this tattoo because I truly believe it and it would show when I wore my wedding dress. I also wanted it because The Beatles are one of my favorite bands of all time.

(Submitted by Danielle)

East of Eden- John Steinbeck

2010-08-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

" 'The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world.' "

-East of Eden by John Steinbeck

The tattoo is a combination of an East of Eden quote and the swirl from Elliott Smith's album "Figure 8."

Submitted by Cara

T.S. Eliot

2010-08-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here's my Prufrock tattoo. It's my favorite poem, and a gentle encouragement. (Submitted by David)

Time between postings

2010-08-25T11:08:00.001-07:00

Hey all! As you may have seen, there was some time between postings. I post tattoos as I get them (for the most part). The most recent submissions were received within a day or two of each other. So, with that being said, if there are weeks in between postings, it means I haven't gotten any submissions! Keep submitting! Spread the word! Get it out there that there's a fantastic literary tattoo website up and running!

Thanks!

Admin

Alices Adventures in Wonderland

2010-08-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

My Jabberwocky was more impulse than anything. I wanted something scary looking and remembered being terrified of the Jabberwocky as a kid. I read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass 3 times in the past couple years and am always astounded by the detail put into the Jabberwocky drawing and the character only appears in a poem she finds. My tattoo artist detailed it as he saw fit, making it a little more modern, almost cartoonish.

Done by Goat, who is currently at Lucky Sevens in Tupelo, MS.

Submitted by Sebastian

Lonesome Dove, John Bunyan, St. Augustine

2010-08-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

The bottom of my forearm is a quotation from St. Augustine.
"Love slays what we have been that we may be what we are not."

the top of my forearm is from The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan:
"Prudence: can you remember by what means you find your annoyances at times as if they were vanquished?
Christian: Yes, when I think what I saw at the cross, that will do it; and when I look upon my broidered coat, that will do it; and when i look into the roll that i carry in my bosom, that will do it; and when my thoughts wax warm about whither I am going, that will do it."

the third tattoo is from the book and film Lonesome Dove:
"Uva Uvam Vivendo Varia Fit"
There are several different translations, but the gist of the latin phrase is One Grape Ripens Another. A couple of my friends have gotten it in different places and styles, deepening our "ripening."

p.s. it's not finished yet. I'm getting grapevines in the spaces, and eventually a group of grapes in my ditch.

Submitted by Sebastian

Kurt Vonnegut

2010-08-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

This was my third tattoo. I've always been a huge Vonnegut fan. Although Cat's Cradle has always been my favourite of his, slaughterhouse five was his most fantastical. I plan on getting something from Cat's Cradle (probably a cat's cradle with the quote, "see the cat, see the cradle" underneath), but haven't really decided. (Submitted by Sebastian)

Charles Bukowski

2010-08-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

My tattoo says "enfold" in my best friend's hand writing. We have matching tattoos, in the same spot. It's from Charles Bukowski's "Let it Enfold You," a poem we both love. We are also both fans of the band Senses Fail and they have song with the same title, inspired by Bukoski's poem. This tattoo is a love for poetry, each other, and our history of music. (Submitted by Amanda)

The Beatles

2010-08-09T09:27:00.000-07:00

I have two Beatles tattoos: "Let it be" on my left wrist and a bird on my right foot as a tribute to "blackbird." The blackbird was my first tattoo and the line "take these broken wings and learn to fly" really spoke to me. Both literally and figuratively, I have come from a broken place and managed to overcome many challenges while keeping my inner strength. I have to credit this to support from my amazing mother as well as music for always being there to comfort me when words alone often are not enough. I got "let it be" two years later as a reminder to let the small insignificant issues in life not worry me, and to always remember I will get through whatever obstacle life throws at me. I added the period because "let it be" needs no if's and's or but's to follow. I need to simply...let it be. It's the simplicity of my tattoos that give me comfort. Life can get so chaotic, to look down and see a calm reminder that I need to take a step back and breathe gives me a little moment of peace. (Submitted by Courtney)

Let it be

When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,

speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,

speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,

there will be an answer, let it be.

For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,

there will be an answer. let it be.

Let it be, let it be.....

And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light, that shines on me,

shine until tomorrow, let it be.

I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me,

speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be.....

Blackbird

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these broken wings and learn to fly

All you life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night

Take these sunken eyes and learn to see

All you life

You were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly

Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird fly, blackbird fly

Into the light of the dark black night

You were only waiting for this moment to arise

E.E. Cummings

2010-08-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

let it go - the

smashed word broken

open vow or

the oath cracked length

wise - let it go it

was sworn to

let them go - the

truthful liars and

the false fair friends

and the boths and

neithers - you must let them go they

were born

to go

let all go - the

big small middling

tall bigger really

the biggest and all

things - let all go

dear

so comes love

~ e. e. cummings ~

(Complete Poems 1904-1962)

this is my second tattoo done by TBone at Lark tattoo in albany. Submitted by poetnicole

E.E. Cummings

2010-08-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

be of love(a little)

More careful

Than of everything

guard her perhaps only

A trifle less

(merely beyond how very)

closely than

Nothing,remember love by frequent

anguish(imagine

Her least never with most

memory)give entirely each

Forever its freedom

(Dare until a flower,

understanding sizelessly sunlight

Open what thousandth why and

discover laughing)

- e. e. cummings ~

(Collected Poems 1962-1964)

I got it done at Lark Tattoo in Albany, New York by TBone. It is a reminder for me - to put love above all else.
Submitted by poetnicole

The Giving Tree

2010-08-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

The first book I ever read by myself started my whole love affair with literature. It was The Giving Tree, and to pay homage to it, I got this tattoo, which is the "living" version of the carving the boy left on the tree.

The art was done by Jason at Evolution Artspace in Spokane, WA. Submitted by Emily F

Just to clarify

2010-08-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

LiteraryTatts is staying put here.

I just created a Tumblr account for those who have accounts over there and set up this blog to feed the posts over there as well :)

This blog isn't going anywhere. SO SUBMIT YOUR TATTOOS! :-)

Geoffrey Chaucer - Canterbury Tales

2010-08-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

Due to a wonderful English teacher back in high school, I've had this part of the General Prologue to Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" memorized for the last five or six years. I stumbled across a "torn pages" tattoo
somewhere online (I've since forgotten where) over a year ago and drew the image based off of it. My tattoo is a testament to my love of classic literature and poetry: if you ripped open a view to my heart, that's what would be inside it. Except that sounds a little emo, so I usually just list the following reasons:

- I have it memorized thanks to a great teacher in high school.
- Middle English looks and sounds awesome
- I won't be sick of poetry when I'm 80

"Whan that aprill with his shoures soote

The droghte of marche hath perced to the roote

And bathed every veyne in swich licour

Of which vertu engendred is the flour

Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yroone,

And smale foweles maken melodye,

That slepen al the nyght with open eye

So priketh hem nature in hir corages

Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages

And palmers for to seken straunge strondes

To ferne halwas couthe in sondry londes

And specially from every shires ende

Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende

The hooly blisful martir for to seke

That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke"

--Chaucer, "The Canterbury Tales"

It is surprisingly difficult to take a picture of your own back, so
here's the original flash I drew for it:
http://matriss.deviantart.com/art/Chaucer-Tattoo-134872858

Ampersand and semi-colon

2010-08-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

OK here is my last literary tattoos (for now). They are an ampersand and a semi-colon (BwI post link :http://community.livejournal.com/literarytattoos/738494.html).

I finally got my ampersand tattoo to go with my semi-colon! I slightly modified the font Gwedolyn and had it inked in brown ink on my inner left elbow.

So why a semi-colon and an ampersand?!

I feel that they represent my love of reading and writing. I also find them aesthetically pleasing. For me the semi-colon reminds me of the ability to put two separate ideas together into one complete structure. The ampersand has the same basic meaning.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

2010-08-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Me again. Here is my JLS inspired tattoo. (link to BwI post : http://community.livejournal.com/literarytattoos/488336.html).

After spending a lot of time trying to decide between the front or back of my shoulder for my bird silhouette tattoo, I decided on the back. I was inspired to do a bird tattoo after finishing Jonathan Livingston Seagull for the billionth time. I love the book and could go on and on about it... instead I'll just post the pictures :)

This was done by Ryan at New Age Tattoo in Springfield, IL. Great artist!

JK Rowling - Harry Potter

2010-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

First up, my Harry Potter tattoo. (link to BwI post : http://community.livejournal.com/literarytattoos/846540.html) --

As birthday presents to each other one of my friends and I finally got our Harry Potter tattoos! She is the one who first made me read the series and has since dressed up for each midnight book/movie release with me :) I got "lumos" and she got "nox". This means a few things to us. First (and most obviously), it displays our love of HP. We felt it best represented the balance of light and dark in the books. That and she's evil, I appear to be nicer in comparison :)

I got mine in a modified Quijote Sauvage font in black on my right foot.

Both were done by Alex at New Age Tattoos in Springfield, IL.

Friedrich Nietzsche

2010-08-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

I have always had a fascination with tattoos and even more with literary ones. I decided on my tattoo after years of searching. I love the words of Friedrich Nietzsche and this one in particular stood out to me. I danced my entire life, from the age of 13 until 18 and then coached it for another three years. It has always been a passion of mine and this quote just pulled at my heart.

There are tons of versions of this quote from Nietzsche. A couple of versions are below:

And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh. (Friedrich Nietzsche)

"We should consider each day wasted on which we have not danced."

Because there were so many different versions, I decided to put into my "own" words, more or less. I like the idea that there are so many different versions of this quote, maybe I'm the only one with this exact version on my body?

A word after a word after a word is power

2010-08-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

]I am an English Literature major at the University of British Columbia, and I wanted to think of a way to show my love of words and language in a tattoo. I'm a huge Margaret Atwood fan, and her Spelling poem really spoke to me. The phrase "A word after a word after a word is power" perfectly encompassed all of my feelings on language.

Spelling

by Margaret Atwood

My daughter plays on the floor

with plastic letters,

red, blue & hard yellow,

learning how to spell,

spelling,

how to make spells.

I wonder how many women

denied themselves daughters,

closed themselves in rooms,

drew the curtains

so they could mainline words.

A child is not a poem,

a poem is not a child.

there is no either/or.

However.

I return to the story

of the woman caught in the war

& in labour, her thighs tied

together by the enemy

so she could not give birth.

Ancestress: the burning witch,

her mouth covered by leather

to strangle words.

A word after a word

after a word is power.

At the point where language falls away

from the hot bones, at the point

where the rock breaks open and darkness

flows out of it like blood, at

the melting point of granite

when the bones know

they are hollow & the word

splits & doubles & speaks

the truth & the body

itself becomes a mouth.

This is a metaphor.

How do you learn to spell?

Blood, sky & the sun,

your own name first,

your first naming, your first name,

your first word.

(Submitted by Cari)

Harry Potter

2010-08-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

My name is Sarah, I found your blog through the literary tattoos LJ community.

I chose 'expecto patronum' because I wanted something that represented Harry Potter but also had relevancy to my life. I have fought off genetic depression all through my teenage years, and finally feel like I am truly happy now. I like to think of depression and anxiety as the 'dementors' of my life. Since the Patronus charm is pure happiness and made of happy memories, it also reminds me to hold my happy memories close to me and remember to enjoy life in order to make new ones. In terms of directly relating to the series, Harry is my favorite character (it seems cliche, but most fans have a different favorite). He's such an incredible character--he fights off his dark past his whole life, and always remains good at heart. Also, the parts in the movies when he yells 'expecto patronum' always give me chills (and occasionally make me cry).

In terms of the design, I had a basic idea of what I wanted and my artist did the rest. She definitely went above and beyond what I was expecting. She also happens to be a Harry Potter nerd, and it was like she took what was in my brain and multiplied it by a thousand. So here's her credit, her name is L and she's at Outer Limits in Orange, CA.

Sweeney Todd

2010-08-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I'm your maintainer. I thought I'd submit my own tattoo.

2009 was a horrible and awful year for me personally. I had thought very hard for months about what kind of tattoo I wanted to get, and then it hit me. Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite musicals, and while watching the movie version, I really listened to the lyrics of "Green Finch and Linnet Bird". I chose the last few lyrics of the song, because not only do I love the musical, the lyrics themselves remind me to keep going even when it doesn't seem like there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Green finch, and linnet bird,

Nightingale, blackbird,

How is it you sing?

How can you jubilate

sitting in cages

never taking wing?

Outside the sky waits

beckoning!

Beckoning!

Just beyond the bars...

How can you remain

staring at the rain

maddened by the stars?

How is it you sing

anything?

How is it you sing?

Green finch. and linnet bird,

nightingale, blackbird

How is it you sing?

Whence comes this melody

constantly floating?

Is it rejoicing or merely aloaming?

Are you discussing?

Or fussing?

Or simply dreaming?

Are you crowing?

Are you screaming?

Ringdove and robinet

is it for wages?

Singing to be sold?

Have you decided it's safer in cages

singing when you're told?

My cage has many rooms

damask and dark...

Nothing there sings,

not even my lark.

Larks never will, you know,

when they're captive.

Teach me to be more

adaptive.

Ah...

Green Finch, and Linnet Bird,

nightingale, blackbird,

teach me how to sing.

If I cannot fly

Let me sing.

"If I cannot fly" on the inside left wrist "Let me sing" on the inside right wrist. White ink.
(Less than 24 hours after it was done. It healed beautifully)

Literary Tattoo Book - October 2010

2010-08-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Word on the web is that there is a book being released this fall (October) called "The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos from Bookworms Worldwide".

There isn't much up on Amazon yet about it, but if you're interested, keep an eye out on the site.

Byzantium I come not from

2010-08-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

My name is Chris, my tattoo is of the first line from the poem 'Byzantium I come not from' by Ray Bradbury. This poem can be found in his book 'I Live By the Invisible' The tattoo is in a font called 'Anarchistic'

Byzantium, I come not from,

But from another time and place
Whose race was simple, tried and true

As boy

I dropped me forth in Illinois.
A name with neither love nor grace
Was Waukegan, there I came from
And not, good friends, Byzantium.

And yet in looking back I see

From topmost part of farthest tree
A land as bright, beloved and blue
As any Yeats found to be true.

So we grew up with mythic dead

To spoon upon midwestern bread
And spread old gods' bright marmalade
O slake in peanut-butter shade,
Pretending there beneath our sky
That it was Aphrodite's thigh...

While by the porch-rail calm and bold

His words pure wisdom, stare pure gold
My grandfather, a myth indeed,
Did all of Plato supersede
While Grandmama in rockingchair
Sewed up the raveled sleeve of care
Crocheted cool snowflakes rare and bright
To winter us on summer night.
And uncles, gathered with their smokes
Emitted wisdoms masked as jokes,
And aunts as wise as Delphic maids
Dispensed prophetic lemonades
To boys knelt there as acolytes
To Grecian porch on summer nights;
Then wen to bed, there to repent
The evils of the innocent;
The gnat-sins sizzling in their ears
Said, through the nights and through the years
Not Illinois nor Waukegan
But blither sky and blither sun.

Though mediocre all our Fates

And Mayor not as bright as Yeats
Yet still we knew ourselves. The sum?
Byzantium.
Byzantium.

To me the poem represents a happy childhood and a loving home. I was fortunate enough to have both of these when I was growing up. I got the ink as a tribute to my youth, my family and Ray Bradbury himself as I am a big fan of his writing.

Tattoo Submissions

2010-07-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Due to a few well-known websites kind of going "defunct", I've taken the liberty to start a new one.

So, email your submissions to literarytatts@gmail.com:

Please only submit ONE tattoo per email (as I'd like to separate them with tags), unless you have multiple tattoos from the same book or author or band.

Be sure to include:

your name or pseudonym (whatever you want to appear on the site)
the URL of your blog or website, if you want me to link to it
where your tattoo is from (an author, a book, a quote, etc) – the more info the better!
any backstory or information you want me to include on the site

If you are sending me a picture you don’t own, be sure to include the original source with a link.