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
Walden is the only book I own, although there are some others unclaimed on my shelves. Every man, I think, reads one book in his life, and this is mine. It is not the best book I ever encountered, perhaps, but it is for me the handiest, and I keep it about me in much the same way one carries a handkerchief - for relief in moments of defluxion or despair.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the personal significance of a single book in one's life, suggesting that it serves as a source of comfort and guidance during tough times.
E. B. White expresses the notion that while many books exist, each individual has a particular book that resonates profoundly with them personally. 'Walden' is not necessarily the best book in objective terms, but it serves as a reliable companion and source of solace through difficult moments, akin to how one might keep a handkerchief close by for comfort and practicality.
Themes
WaldenBookComfortPersonalSolace
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club discussion, I might share how 'Walden' has become my personal companion in challenging times.
More from E. B. White
All quotes →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.
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.
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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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