“A serious writer is not to be confounded with a solemn writer. A serious writer may be a hawk or a buzzard or even a popinjay, but a solemn writer is always a bloody owl.”
- July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961
- American
- Novelist, poet, journalist
- Wrote masterpieces such as “The Old Man and the Sea,” “A Farewell to Arms,” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954
Quote
“A serious writer is not to be confounded with a solemn writer. A serious writer may be a hawk or a buzzard or even a popinjay, but a solemn writer is always a bloody owl.”
Explanation
In this quote, Hemingway makes a distinction between being a serious writer and a solemn writer. He suggests that a serious writer is someone who approaches their craft with dedication, purpose, and intensity, but does not necessarily take on a self-important or overly grave tone. The “serious” writer could be a hawk, buzzard, or even a popinjay—metaphors for different types of characters, each embodying a distinctive style or approach to writing, but all are engaged in the seriousness of their craft. In contrast, the solemn writer—represented by the “bloody owl”—is overly pompous, heavy-handed, and perhaps even pretentious. Hemingway suggests that a solemn tone in writing, marked by an overemphasis on seriousness, can make a writer seem self-righteous or insufferable, while a serious writer can maintain depth without losing their vibrancy or personality.
Hemingway, known for his concise, direct style, was often critical of writing that he saw as pretentious or overly moralistic. His own work typically avoids the grandiosity and formality that sometimes characterizes solemn writing. Instead, he preferred writing that was honest, engaged with reality, and alive with energy, even if it tackled serious subjects. For Hemingway, writing could be serious without being burdensome or weighed down by unnecessary solemnity. His protagonists, such as those in A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls, are serious in their struggles but not bogged down by a sense of self-righteousness or excessive gravity.
In the modern context, this quote can be understood as a reminder to embrace authenticity and engagement with the material without resorting to preachiness or overly solemn tones. It encourages writers, as well as creators in other fields, to maintain a balance between seriousness and accessibility, to engage with difficult or profound topics without making them seem like a burden to the audience. Whether in literature, journalism, or art, there is a fine line between seriousness, which drives a thoughtful and authentic exploration of ideas, and solemnity, which can alienate or obscure the work’s true meaning. Hemingway’s distinction speaks to the need for depth in writing without sacrificing life or spirit.
