How to Quote? Different Ways of Using Quotations

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Most of us get our first introduction with the fascinating world of quotations in School. We used to have a quote selected as the "Thought for the Day" - then this thought would be written on the blackboard of the Assembly Hall. A new thought for a new day, a new thing to ponder upon.

After some time, it was taught how to use quotations in writing or while speaking to make the expression more effective. For this the quotation was generally included in the writing or speech where it could support the idea or belief being expressed.

But off late, I observed a few people using the quotations in quite different manners than merely making the quotation inline in the expression. The usage was different and subtly effective along with being interesting. I'm categorizing the usage of quotations in four different ways

This is the most common way of quoting a meaningful saying. It is simply included along with the citation (author name, year, book/movie etc.) before or after the expression which it can support.

This kind of inclusion is not something I've seen too often. But I was very impressed by it. Sometimes a statement is made in reference to particular context. Thus, it is not generic - it could be a dialogue of a character of a fantasy, or it could belong to a completely different domain. But due to its usage in the current context, it dons a new meaning - an intent different from the original one.

An example of this kind of usage is - One of my friends was writing something related to a close person whose near one had recently died. The deceased was in a way one of the last persons who belonged to a particular era of the effected person's life.

My friend used a dialogue from Twilight -

"Everybody you know is dead in a few decades" ~ Edward Cullen, Eclipse (Twilight Saga)

Edward Cullen, the famous good vampire of the Twilight Saga actually made this remark with a different intent. The immortal vampires whose life span is indefinitely longer than those of humans, have a different perspective of time indeed. However, the dialogue by Edward Cullen simply donned a new meaning in our mortal world.

In her article, my friend simply wanted to express the feeling of loss of a dear one enhanced by the sense of disconnection from an era of life - a span of time which you shared with some people.

Sometimes the quotation is not supportive block of the expression, it is the building block in writeup/speech which actually is responsible for starting the whole show. The following statements simply revolve around the quotation. An example could be a long caption for a photograph which starts from a quote, or simply views expressed about a quote.

I've used this form a couple of times in my hubs like -

Well Said - Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore and Sorting Hat

This is the usage I found most interesting along with the second one above. Here the quote is not just a passive supporter, not just a building block either - it is both - and more. The quotation is extended by writer, by addition of another statement - which is a subtle and meaningful. It's the poetic beauty of this usage which makes it intriguing. The extension could make the original quotation now co-relate to a new domain, a new world or simply a new context. This form is quite complex, requires a lot of creative skills - after all one is attempting to add something to a statement worthy of being quoted, worthy of being called a quotation. Effectively influencing something which already exists with poetic beauty is off course not easily achieved.

The form can be used for anything - one of my friend regularly does this to express herself at a social networking website - Extended quotations are often her status messages.

My Friend was generous and kind to allow me to quote her. Here are two quotations by her. Her blog is Violet Flowers

"It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship and persevering courtship. Love is the offspring of spiritual affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment, it will not be created for years or even generations" ~ Kahlil Gibran

The next time you doubt a bond because it's too new, or trust another because it's pretty old, think again..

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‎"Man can believe the impossible, but can never believe the improbable" ~ Oscar Wilde

Sometimes, it just takes one small doubt to turn you into an incurable sceptic..

Don't beware of all doubts because doubts help you learn and be sane - just beware of the ones which stop you from unlearning !!!

Sometimes they'll help you proceed when you're stuck, sometimes they might help you end something effectively - And Quotations can be used in so many ways. If you have used them differently, please share in the comments.