Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it. Many will read the book before one thinks of quoting a passage. As soon as he has done this, that line will be quoted east and west.
Interpretation
Quoting someone reflects an appreciation for their thoughts and ideas, often sharing wisdom with a wider audience.
Ralph Waldo Emerson highlights the significant role of quoting in literature and communication. The essence of his quote is that while the originator of an idea is vital, it is the person who quotes that idea who helps to spread its influence. This emphasizes the value of acknowledging and sharing profound thoughts, as they can reach many more people through simple quotations, thus enhancing the original message's impact.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of reading, one might use this quote to highlight how sharing notable phrases enriches discussions.
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.
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?
When life is good and we have no problems, we can almost let ourselves believe we have no need for God. But in my experience, sometimes the richest blessings come through pain and hard things.
Rid of craving and without clinging, an expert in the study of texts, and understanding the right sequence of the words, he may indeed be called "In his last body", "Great in wisdom" and a "Great man."
Men of genius are often dull and inert in society; as the blazing meteor, when it descends to earth, is only a stone.
Nothing can temper the spirit of a warrior as much as the challenge of dealing with impossible people in positions of power. Only under those conditions can warriors acquire the sobriety and serenity to withstand the pressure of the unknowable.
A spirit of thankfulness is one of the most distinctive marks of a Christian whose heart is attuned to the Lord. Thank God in the midst of trials and every persecution.
Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked.
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