Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mark Twain compares his writing to water, accessible to all, while acknowledging the brilliance of great writers as exquisite wine.
In this quote, Mark Twain humbly reflects on the nature of his own literary works, suggesting that while they may not possess the grandeur of those produced by the great geniuses of literature, they serve an essential purpose, much like water does for survival. He implies that his writing is basic yet vital and that it resonates with a wider audience, emphasizing the importance of accessibility in literature regardless of its perceived quality.
Themes
BooksWritingLiteratureAccessibilityGreatness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the value of accessible literature.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes βThe easy part of being an artist is figuring out the message that everyone else is ready to hear. The hard part is waiting for the proper lull to make the announcement.
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You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
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To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
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Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
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In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
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