It is plain that there is no separate essence called courage, no cup or cell in the brain, no vessel in the heart containing drops or atoms that make or give this virtue; but it is the right or healthy state of every man, when he is free to do that which is constitutional to him to do.
The maker of a sentence launches out into the infinite and builds a road into Chaos and old Night, and is followed by those who hear him with something of wild, creative delight.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The act of creating sentences allows writers to explore the unknown and inspire others with their creativity.
Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote highlights the profound impact of sentence construction as a gateway to imagination and exploration. When a writer embarks on crafting sentences, they venture into uncharted territories of thought and emotion, creating pathways that others can follow and find joy in the creative process. This act not only showcases the beauty of language but also ignites a sense of wonder and inspiration in those who engage with it.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the power of literature, one might quote Emerson to emphasize the role of writers as explorers.
More from Ralph Waldo Emerson
All quotes →Few people have any next, they live from hand to mouth without a plan, and are always at the end of their line.
Men cease to interest us when we find their limitations
Tis the good reader that makes the good book; a good head cannot read amiss: in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakeably meant for his ear.
The world belongs to the energetic.
Hast thou named all the birds without a gun?
Similar quotes
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Whenever I start writing, I try to put together songs that feed the feeling of the movie.
Art is born when the temporary touches the eternal.
Imagine that we are sitting in an ordinary room. Suddenly we are told that there is a corpse behind the door. In an instant the room we are sitting in is completely altered; everything in it has taken on another look; the light, the atmosphere have changed, though they are physically the same. This is because we have changed and the objects are as we conceive them. That is the effect I want to get in my film.
The truth is, it's easier for me to write than talk... to express the state I'm in at any time.
Artists can have greater access to reality; they can see patterns and details and connections that other people, distracted by the blur of life, might miss. Just sharing that truth can be a very powerful thing.