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The seeming significance of nature's appearances, their unchanging strangeness to the senses, and the thrilling response which they awaken in the mind of man . . . If we could only write near enough to the facts, and yet with no pedestrian calm, but ardently, we might transfer the glamour of reality direct upon our pages.
Robert Louis Stevenson
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the beauty and strangeness of nature and suggests that writing can capture its essence with passion and vibrancy.

Robert Louis Stevenson reflects on the profound impact that nature has on human perception and creativity. He argues that the vivid and almost magical qualities of the natural world could be effectively conveyed through writing, provided that the writer captures it with enthusiasm and depth, instead of relying on dull or overly simplistic descriptions. This highlights the connection between artistic expression and the inspiring elements of our environment.

Themes

NatureWritingArtistryCreativityBeauty

In practice

Example use cases

During a nature writing workshop, I shared a quote by Stevenson to inspire participants to capture the essence of their surroundings.

More from Robert Louis Stevenson

Our business in life is not to succeed, but to continue to fail in good spirits.
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Like a bird singing in the rain, let grateful memories survive in time of sorrow.
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That man is a success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much.
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His past was fairly blameless; few men could read the rolls of their life with less apprehension; yet he was humbled to the dust by the many ill things he had done, and raised up again into sober and fearful gratitude by the many he had come so near to doing, yet avoided.
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The habit of being happy enables one to be freed, or largely freed, from the domination of outward conditions.
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It is the history of our kindnesses that alone make this world tolerable. If it were not for that, for the effect of kind words, kind looks, kind letters . . . I should be inclined to think our life a practical jest in the worst possible spirit.
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