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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of clarity in writing, showing respect for the reader's time and effort.
E. B. White articulates his belief that a writer has a responsibility to communicate ideas clearly, acknowledging the reader's effort in engaging with the text. This commitment to clarity is seen as a form of respect for the audience, as White himself identifies with the challenges of being a slow reader. He stresses the importance of rewriting to enhance clarity, suggesting that the pursuit of clear communication is a fundamental aspect of effective writing.
Themes
ClarityWritingRespectReaderCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
A writer at a literary event could use this quote to emphasize the importance of clear writing during a discussion.
More from E. B. White
All quotes →It 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
A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus.
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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
Writing is not an exercise in excision, it's a journey into sound.
E. B. WhiteRead
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