The further off from England the nearer is to France-_x000D_ _x000D_ Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.
Lewis CarrollRead
'Who's been repeating all that hard stuff to you?' 'I read it in a book,' said Alice. 'But I had some poetry repeated to me, much easier than that, by - Tweedledee, I think it was.' 'As to poetry, you know,' said Humpty Dumpty, stretching out one of his great hands, 'I can repeat poetry as well as other folk, if it comes to that - ' 'Oh, it needn't come to that!' Alice hastily said, hoping to keep him from beginning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the subjective nature of understanding and appreciating difficult concepts versus the ease of poetry.
In this exchange between Alice and Humpty Dumpty from Lewis Carroll's work, there is a playful examination of how different forms of communication, such as poetry and complex ideas, can be perceived. Alice expresses a preference for the simplicity and beauty of poetry over the challenges posed by difficult concepts, while Humpty Dumpty insists he can engage with both. This interaction reflects on the varying ways people interpret information and the value of different types of expression.
Themes
PoetryUnderstandingExpressionCommunicationLiterature
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote in a literary discussion about the different forms of art and how they convey meaning.
More from Lewis Carroll
All quotes →To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said 'I've a sceptre in hand, I've a crown on my head. Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be, Come and dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen, and me.
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So she was considering in her own mind...whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the trouble of getting up & picking the daisies.
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Once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people.
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Rule Forty-two. All persons more than a mile high to leave the court.
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Crawling at your feet,' said the Gnat (Alice drew her feet back in some alarm), `you may observe a Bread-and-Butterfly. Its wings are thin slices of Bread-and-butter, its body is a crust, and its head is a lump of sugar.' And what does IT live on?' Weak tea with cream in it.' A new difficulty came into Alice's head. `Supposing it couldn't find any?' she suggested. Then it would die, of course.' But that must happen very often,' Alice remarked thoughtfully. It always happens,' said the Gnat.
Lewis CarrollRead
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