We ought not to extract pernicious honey from poison blossoms of misrepresentation and mendacious half-truth, to pamper the course appetite of bigotry and self-love.
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeRead
I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is, prose = words in their best order; - poetry = the best words in the best order.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the distinction between prose and poetry based on the arrangement and choice of words.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge highlights the essence of prose and poetry by defining prose as 'words in their best order' and poetry as 'the best words in the best order'. This suggests that while both forms utilize language, poetry seeks a higher level of craftsmanship and precision in word selection and arrangement to achieve artistic expression.
Themes
PoetryProseWordsOrderDefinition
In practice
Example use cases
In a creative writing workshop, to explain the importance of word choice, I would use Coleridge's quote.
More from Samuel Taylor Coleridge
All quotes →Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
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And all who heard should see them there, And all should cry, Beware! Beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice, And close your eyes with holy dread, For he on honey-dew hath fed, And drunk the milk of Paradise.
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Often do the spirits stride on before the event; and in today already walks tomorrow.
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Mr. Lyell's system of geology is just half the truth, and no more. He affirms a great deal that is true, and he denies a great deal which is equally true; which is the general characteristic of all systems not embracing the whole truth.
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeRead
To believe and to understand are not diverse things, but the same things in different periods of growth.
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeRead
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