It is by all odds the loftiest of cities. It even managed to reach the highest point in the sky at the lowest moment of the depression.
E. B. WhiteRead
Commas in The New Yorker fall with the precision of knives in a circus act, outlining the victim.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the meticulous craftsmanship of punctuation in writing, particularly in high-quality publications.
E. B. White's quote emphasizes the skillful and deliberate use of commas in writing, comparing their placement to the precise action of a knife in a circus act. This metaphor suggests that every comma serves a critical, defining role in the text, much like a knife that meticulously outlines its target. It underscores the idea that punctuation is not merely decorative but is essential for clarity and artistry in written communication.
Themes
PunctuationWritingArtistryClarityPrecision
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on writing style, this quote could be used to emphasize the importance of punctuation.
More from E. B. White
All quotes βIt isn't silence you can cut with a knife any more, it's interchange of ideas. Intelligent discussion of practically everything is what is breaking up modern marriage.
E. B. WhiteRead
The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. Because I have the greatest respect for the reader, and if he's going to the trouble of reading what I've written -- I'm a slow reader myself and I guess most people are -- why, the least I can do is make it as easy as possible for him to find out what I'm trying to say, trying to get at. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.
E. B. WhiteRead
A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus.
E. B. WhiteRead
A despot doesn't fear eloquent writers preaching freedom- he fears a drunken poet who may crack a joke that will take hold.
E. B. WhiteRead
All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation-it is the Self-escaping into the open.
E. B. WhiteRead
Similar quotes
I am involved in the architecture of space.
James TurrellRead
Poetry operates by hints and dark suggestions. It is full of secrets and hidden formulae, like a witch's brew.
Anthony HechtRead
If, when you wake up in the morning, you can think of nothing but writing . . . then you are a writer.
Rainer Maria RilkeRead
I have a vocabulary in clothing. It's like a whole language.
Tracee Ellis RossRead
This music is forever for me. It's the stage thing, that rush moment that you live for. It never lasts, but that's what you live for.
Bruce SpringsteenRead
The arts can open the door to the imagination, pushing the envelope of how peace can be created. It takes courage to take this kind of risk, and courage is what we all need to create a better world.
Wayne ShorterRead