Give me hunger, pain and want, Shut me out with shame and failure From your doors of gold and fame, Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger! But leave me a little love.
Carl SandburgRead
Read the dictionary from A to Izzard today. Get a vocabulary. Brush up on your diction. See whether wisdom is just a lot of language.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Investing time in language can enhance wisdom and understanding.
In this quote, Carl Sandburg emphasizes the importance of language and vocabulary in the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom. He suggests that by reading and enriching one's diction, individuals can deepen their understanding of the world, implying that language is a powerful tool for communication and learning.
Themes
LanguageWisdomVocabularyEducationUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the value of education, one might say, 'As Carl Sandburg noted, we should read the dictionary and enrich our vocabulary if we seek wisdom.'
More from Carl Sandburg
All quotes βNothing happens... but first a dream.
Carl SandburgRead
My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
Carl SandburgRead
There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.
Carl SandburgRead
A liar goes in fine clothes, a liar goes in rags, a liar is a liar, clothes or no clothes.
Carl SandburgRead
A book is never a masterpiece: it becomes one. Genius is the talent of a dead man.
Carl SandburgRead
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I read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most.
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