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.
E. B. WhiteRead
Use the smallest word that does the job.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that simplicity in language is often more effective than complexity.
E. B. White emphasizes the importance of clarity and precision in communication. By advocating for the use of the smallest word that accomplishes the desired effect, he encourages us to prioritize straightforwardness over elaborate vocabulary. This approach not only enhances understanding but also respects the reader's ability to engage with the text without unnecessary complications.
Themes
SimplicityCommunicationClarityWritingLanguage
In practice
Example use cases
A writer could use this quote during a workshop about effective writing techniques.
More from E. B. White
All quotes βIt 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.
E. B. WhiteRead
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.
E. B. WhiteRead
A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus.
E. B. WhiteRead
A despot doesn't fear eloquent writers preaching freedom- he fears a drunken poet who may crack a joke that will take hold.
E. B. WhiteRead
All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation-it is the Self-escaping into the open.
E. B. WhiteRead
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