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
It is at a fair that man can be drunk forever on liquor, love, or fights; at a fair that your front pocket can be picked by a trotting horse looking for sugar, and your hind pocket by a thief looking for his fortune.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the chaotic and unpredictable nature of life, where pleasure and danger coexist.
E. B. White's quote illustrates the idea that life is filled with opportunities for indulgence and joy, but also comes with risks and pitfalls. The metaphor of a fair captures the essence of human experience, showcasing how people can get lost in the pleasures of life, such as love and excitement, while also being vulnerable to challenges, represented by the thief and the horse. The complexity of existence lies in navigating these two dynamics, emphasizing the contrasts between joy and hardship.
Themes
LifeChaosPleasureRiskExperience
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about embracing life's adventures and the risks that come with them.
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.
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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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