Writing, madam, is a mechanic part of wit. A gentleman should never go beyond a song or a billet.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Writing is seen as a trivial skill for gentlemen, who should focus on lighter forms like songs or notes rather than serious work.
- In plain terms
- Gentlemen should limit their writing to light forms like songs or notes.
- What can you take from it?
- Social class influences what forms of expression are considered appropriate.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who decides what counts as 'serious' work?
- How do class expectations limit creativity?
Another view
This view undervalues writing as a serious intellectual pursuit.
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When love grows diseased, the best thing we can do is to put it to a violent death. I cannot endure the torture of a lingering and consumptive passion.
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