Who said “The past is the only dead thing that smells sweet.”?

Verified

Edward Thomas. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"Early One Morning", line 15, cited from Collected Poems (London: Selwyn & Blount, 1920), p. 32.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

Authors A–Z
“The past is the only dead thing that smells sweet.”
— Edward Thomas
Verified"Early One Morning", line 15, cited from Collected Poems (London: Selwyn & Blount, 1920), p. 32. · evidencePast

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "Early One Morning", line 15, cited from Collected Poems (London: Selwyn & Blount, 1920), p. 32..

APA

Thomas, E. (n.d.). The past is the only dead thing that smells sweet. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/31942-the-past-is-the-only-dead-thing-that/

MLA

Thomas, Edward. “The past is the only dead thing that smells sweet.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/31942-the-past-is-the-only-dead-thing-that/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Thomas, Edward. “The past is the only dead thing that smells sweet.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/31942-the-past-is-the-only-dead-thing-that/.

Related quotes

“The true picture of the past flits by. The past can be seized only as an image which flashes up at the instant when it can be recognized and is never seen again.”
— Walter Benjamin
VerifiedTheses on the Philosophy of History (1940) · evidenceDetails & citePast
“One must always maintain one's connection to the past and yet ceaselessly pull away from it. To remain in touch with the past requires a love of memory. To remain in touch with the past requires a constant imaginative effort.”
— Gaston Bachelard
VerifiedFragments of a Poetics of Fire (1988) · evidenceDetails & citePast

More quotes by Edward Thomas

“The simple lack of her is more to me than others presence.”
Verified"The Unknown", line 16, cited from Collected Poems (London: Selwyn & Blount, 1920), p. 116. · evidenceDetails & citeImportance
All 2 Edward Thomas quotes →