Poetry operates by hints and dark suggestions. It is full of secrets and hidden formulae, like a witch's brew.
Anthony HechtRead
A lot of the fun lies in trying to penetrate the mystery; and this is best done by saying over the lines to yourself again and again, till they pass through the stage of sounding like nonsense, and finally return to a full sense that had at first escaped notice.
Interpretation
The joy of understanding complex ideas comes from repeated contemplation until clarity is achieved.
This quote emphasizes the importance of persistence and active engagement when grappling with difficult concepts. Hecht suggests that rather than being discouraged by initial confusion, one should embrace the process of revisiting and reflecting on the material, allowing deeper meanings to emerge through repetition and contemplation.
In practice
This quote can be used in an academic setting to motivate students to engage deeply with challenging texts.
Poetry operates by hints and dark suggestions. It is full of secrets and hidden formulae, like a witch's brew.
How do we merge entertainment and education? We live in a world where entertainment wins, but if entertainment can have an educational heart, then we can really change people's lives.
Language pedants hew to an oral tradition of shibboleths that have no basis in logic or style, that have been defied by great writers for centuries, and that have been disavowed by every thoughtful usage manual.
The difference between where you are today and where you'll be five years from now will be found in the quality of books you've read.
There's a lot of talk these days about giving children self-esteem. It's not something you can give; it's something they have to build. Coach Graham worked in a no-coddling zone. Self-esteem? He knew there was really only one way to teach kids how to develop it: You give them something they can't do, they work hard until they find they can do it, and you just keep repeating the process.
Make this the golden rule, the equivalent of the Hippocratic oath: Everything we ask a child to do should be worth doing.
Are you a reader? If you aren't a reader, you might as well forget trying to be a writer.
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