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About this quote

What does it mean?
To write well about noble topics, the writer must embody noble character.
In plain terms
Good writing comes from being a good person.
What can you take from it?
Character shapes the quality of your work.

Where it applies

  • writing advice
  • self-improvement
  • ethics

Putting it to work

  • cultivate character
  • write authentically

Questions to consider

  • Does character affect your writing?
  • How do you align words and deeds?

Another view

It assumes moral virtue directly translates to skill.

More from John Milton

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  2. His words ... like so many nimble and airy servitors trip about him at command.

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  3. I will not deny but that the best apology against false accusers is silence and sufferance, and honest deeds set against dishonest words.

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