Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is the last you are going to see of him till he emerges on the other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- German writers become silent when they write a sentence, reappearing only after crossing the Atlantic with their verb ready.
- In plain terms
- German authors disappear while writing and return after a long journey.
- What can you take from it?
- Writing can be a solitary, immersive process.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why might immersion be necessary for some writers?
- How does travel influence creative work?
Another view
The metaphor may overgeneralize German writers' habits.
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