Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Mark Twain compares his writing to water, accessible to all, while acknowledging the brilliance of great writers as exquisite wine.
In this quote, Mark Twain humbly reflects on the nature of his own literary works, suggesting that while they may not possess the grandeur of those produced by the great geniuses of literature, they serve an essential purpose, much like water does for survival. He implies that his writing is basic yet vital and that it resonates with a wider audience, emphasizing the importance of accessibility in literature regardless of its perceived quality.
Themes
BooksWritingLiteratureAccessibilityGreatness
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about the value of accessible literature.
More from Mark Twain
All quotes →The easy part of being an artist is figuring out the message that everyone else is ready to hear. The hard part is waiting for the proper lull to make the announcement.
Mark TwainRead
You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
Mark TwainRead
To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
Mark TwainRead
Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
Mark TwainRead
In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
Mark TwainRead
Similar quotes
The student has his Rome, his Florence, his whole glowing Italy, within the four walls of his library. He has in his books the ruins of an antique world and the glories of a modern one.
Henry Wadsworth LongfellowRead
His Son Jesus, the Word of God, is our Instructor.... He is God and Creator.
Clement Of AlexandriaRead
When I was in New York after I left the Army, I studied for two years at the American Theater Wing, studied acting, which involved dance and fencing and speech classes and history of theater, all that.
James Earl JonesRead
I routinely interview college students, mostly from top schools, and I notice that their brains are like old maps, with lots of blank spaces for the uncharted terrain. It's not that they lack for motivation or IQ. It's that they can't connect the dots when they don't know where the dots are in the first place.
Bret StephensRead
When I was a boy I was called a nerd all the time — because I didn’t like sports, I loved to read, I liked math and science, I thought school was really cool — and it hurt a lot. Because it’s never ok when a person makes fun of you for something you didn’t choose. You know, we don’t choose to be nerds. We can’t help it that we like these things — and we shouldn’t apologize for liking these things.
Wil WheatonRead
Over-coaching can be more harmful than under-coaching. Keep it simple!
John WoodenRead