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Be obscure clearly! Be wild of tongue in a way we can understand.
E. B. White
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Communicate your unique ideas in a clear and relatable way.

E. B. White emphasizes the importance of expressing oneself clearly while embracing individuality and creativity. The quote suggests that one's unique voice should be articulated in a manner that can be easily understood, encouraging people to be bold in their expression, yet mindful of clarity in communication.

Themes

CommunicationClarityCreativityIndividualityExpression

In practice

Example use cases

During a writing workshop, a speaker might refer to this quote to encourage participants to embrace their unique voices.

More from E. B. White

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation-it is the Self-escaping into the open.
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