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.
Thus I, gone forth, as spiders do, In spider’s web a truth discerning, Attach one silken strand to you For my returning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the delicate and intricate nature of relationships and communication, where truth is woven into connections.
In this quote, E. B. White uses the metaphor of a spider weaving its web to express how individuals establish connections with one another through shared truths. Just as a spider creates a framework that is both strong and fragile, the bonds we form with others rely on honesty and trust, allowing for an eventual return to those we hold dear. The imagery evokes the complexity of relationships and the importance of genuine communication in maintaining them.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of relationships, one might quote this to emphasize the significance of trust.
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.
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.
A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus.
A despot doesn't fear eloquent writers preaching freedom- he fears a drunken poet who may crack a joke that will take hold.
All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation-it is the Self-escaping into the open.
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