A few weeks ago, ArtsHub presented 20 famous opening lines in books, so it makes sense to offer the corollary: 20 famous closing lines! Final words can have a lasting impression on readers but some are more prosaic than poetic. Once again, it’s a mix of classic and modern titles, so let’s see how much of a bookworm you really are…
1. ‘Yet what is any ocean but a multitude of drops?’
Thuy On is the Reviews and Literary Editor of ArtsHub and an arts journalist, critic and poet who’s written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Sydney Review of Books, The Australian, The Age/SMH and Australian Book Review. She was the Books Editor of The Big Issue for 8 years and a former Melbourne theatre critic correspondent for The Australian.
She has three collections of poetry published by the University of Western Australian Press (UWAP): Turbulence (2020), Decadence (2022) and Essence (2025).
Threads: @thuy_on123 Instagram: poemsbythuy
