Quotes About Interpretation

It has been said that though God cannot alter the past, historians can; it is perhaps because they can be useful to Him in this respect that He tolerates their existence.

Not only is nothing good or ill but thinking makes it so, but nothing is at all, except in so far as thinking has made it so.

In any case, his judgment and set of values, acting alone or through his assistants, determine not only what is gold and what is dross but the design of the history which he creates out of the metal. The historian decides what is significant, and what is not.

Here I am paying big money to you writers and what for? All you do is change the words.

pay attention to the stories people tell about themselves, which will help you figure out what they stand for and their sense of identity.

Can we learn a technique to make our own descriptions of people more incisive and complete?

Words become low by the occasions to which they are applied, or the general character of them who use them; and the disgust which they produce arises from the revival of those images with which they are commonly united.

To circumscribe poetry by a definition will only show the narrowness of the definer, though a definition which shall exclude Pope will not easily be made.

He delighted to tread upon the brink of meaning.

Classical quotation is the parole of literary men all over the world.

A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.

It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.

Reproof on her lip, but a smile in her eye.

Unnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn …nnnnnnnnnnnn … Ak-k-k … nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn … Hhhhh … Unnnnn … nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn … K-k-k-k … nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn … nnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnn … Ch-ch-ch … nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn—nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn …

What we need is not so much radical writers as we need radical readers!

We are the ink in which are written other messages that we cannot even understand.

You know what I do? I listen to other people, stumbling about with their half thoughts and half sentences and their clumsy feelings that they can't express—and it hurts me. So I go home and burnish it and polish it and weld it to a rhythmic frame, make the dull colors gleam, mute the garish artificiality to pastels, so it doesn't hurt anymore: that's my poem. I know what they want to say, and I say it for them.

All the misunderstandings that tie the world up and keep people apart were quivering before me at once, waiting for me to untangle them, explain them, and I couldn't. I didn't know the words, the grammar, the syntax. And

You know what I do? I listen to other people, stumbling about with their half thoughts and half sentences and their clumsy feelings that they can't express—and it hurts me. So I go home and burnish it and polish it and weld it to a rhythmic frame, make the dull colors gleam, mute the garish artificiality to pastels, so it doesn't hurt anymore: that's my poem.

Sometimes I cannot tell who wrote what. That is upsetting. With some sections, I can remember the place and time I wrote them, but have no memory of the incidents described. Similarly, other sections refer to things I recall happening to me, but kne/o/w just as well I never wrote out. Then there are pages that, today, I interpret one way with the clear recollection of having interpreted them another at the last rereading.

It's Bo Jonas. Bo is short for Beauregard. Can you spell Beauregard?" Denny frowned. "B-o-r-r ..." "It's short for Bobby," Hogg said.

That horse dick he got swinging between his legs is just full of that there compassion

Poetry is what is avoided as it is surrounded by translation.

You know what I do? I listen to other people, stumbling about with their half thoughts and half sentences and their clumsy feelings that they can't express, and it hurts me. So I go home and burnish it and polish it and weld it to a rhythmic frame, make the dull colors gleam, mute the garish artificiality to pastels, so it doesn't hurt any more: that's my poem. I know what they want to say, and I say it for them.