Only a stomach that rarely feels hungry scorns common things.
HoraceRead
Capture your reader, let him not depart, from dull beginnings that refuse to start
Interpretation
What this quote means
Engage your audience from the very beginning to keep them interested.
Horace suggests that the initial moments of a piece of writing are crucial for capturing the reader's attention. If a writer begins with dull or uninspiring content, the reader is likely to lose interest and not continue reading; therefore, it's essential to start strong and engaging.
Themes
ReaderEngagementBeginningWritingAttention
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for writers' workshops focused on improving storytelling techniques.
More from Horace
All quotes βNow is the time for drinking; now the time to beat the earth with unfettered foot.
HoraceRead
Carpe diem! Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.
HoraceRead
It is of no consequence of what parents a man is born, as long as he be a man of merit.
HoraceRead
It is not the rich man you should properly call happy, _x000D_ but him who knows how to use with wisdom the blessings of the gods, _x000D_ to endure hard poverty, and who fears dishonor worse than death, _x000D_ and is not afraid to die for cherished friends or fatherland.
HoraceRead
Few cross the river of time and are able to reach non-being. Most of them run up and down only on this side of the river. But those who when they know the law follow the path of the law, they shall reach the other shore and go beyond the realm of death.
HoraceRead
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Thomas WolfeRead
Everybody who is incapable of learning has taken to teaching.
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Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others.
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An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.
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