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
Geese are friends to no one, they bad mouth everybody and everything. But they are companionable once you get used to their ingratitude and false accusations.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the nature of geese, suggesting that while they may seem ungrateful and critical, they can still be companions.
E. B. White's quote presents a candid observation about geese, highlighting their often ungrateful behavior and tendency to criticize their surroundings. This reflects a deeper truth about relationships: while some companions may not always be gracious or complimentary, understanding and accepting their flaws can lead to meaningful companionship. It suggests that every relationship, much like the interactions with geese, requires adjustment and tolerance despite perceived shortcomings.
Themes
GeeseFriendshipCompanionshipIngratitudeRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about friendship, one could use this quote to illustrate the complexities of relationships.
More from E. B. White
All quotes βIt 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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Izaak WaltonRead
Here and there, human nature may be great in times of trial, but generally speaking it is its weakness and not its strength that appears in a sick chamber; it is selfishness and impatience rather than generosity and fortitude, that one hears of. There is so little real friendship in the world! β and unfortunately' (speaking low and tremulously) 'there are so many who forget to think seriously till it is almost too late.
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A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
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Yes, there is no doubt that paper is patient and as I don't intend to show this cardboard-covered notebook, bearing the proud name of "diary," to anyone, unless I find a real friend, boy or girl, probably nobody cares. And now I come to the root of the matter, the reason for my starting a diary: it is that I have no such real friend.
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Insistence on truth can come into play when one party practices untruth or injustice. Only then can love be tested. True friendship is put to the test only when one party disregards the obligation of friendship.
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