To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed.
Joan DidionRead
A pool is water, made available and useful, and is, as such, infinitely soothing to the western eye.
Interpretation
A pool symbolizes tranquility and utility in nature, appealing to those in the western culture.
In this quote, Joan Didion reflects on how a swimming pool not only serves a practical purpose—providing water for recreation and relaxation—but also represents an ideal of calmness and beauty that resonates with the western aesthetic. The pool is more than just a functional body of water; it embodies a serene oasis that enhances the landscape and offers a soothing visual experience, particularly for those accustomed to its presence.
In practice
During a real estate event, one could cite this quote to highlight the appeal of properties with pools.
To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed.
The truth is, it's easier for me to write than talk... to express the state I'm in at any time.
Memories are what you no longer want to remember.
It was clear, for example, in 1988 that the political process had already become perilously remote from the electorate it was meant to represent.
I mean maybe I was holding all the aces, but what was the game?
Do not whine... Do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.
There can be no very black melancholy to him who lives in the midst of Nature and has his senses still.
The dandelions and buttercups gild all the lawn: the drowsy bee stumbles among the clover tops, and summer sweetens all to me.
I have lived long enough to witness the vanishing of wild mammals, butterflies, mayflies, songbirds and fish that I once feared my grandchildren would not experience: it has all happened faster than even the pessimists predicted.
The sun was a toddler insistently refusing to go to bed: It was past eight thirty and still light.
It keeps eternal whisperings around desolate shores
If we all used clotheslines, we could save 30 million tons of coal a year, or shut down 15 nuclear power plants. And you don't have to wait to start. Yours could be up by this afternoon. To be specific, buy 50 feet of clothesline and a $3 bag of clothespins and become a solar energy pioneer.
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