In the course of a life devoted less to living than to reading, I have verified many times that literary intentions and theories are nothing more than stimuli and that the final work usually ignores or even contradicts them.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Literary theories are just prompts; the final work often ignores or contradicts the author's original plan.
- In plain terms
- What you plan to write rarely matches what you actually write.
- What can you take from it?
- Creative works evolve beyond initial intentions.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does your work match your plan?
- How does art change?
Another view
Not all writing processes ignore intentions equally.
More from Jorge Luis Borges
Universal history is the history of a few metaphors.
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