An idea, in the highest sense of that word, cannot be conveyed but by a symbol.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- True ideas are too complex for direct words and require symbolic representation.
- In plain terms
- You need symbols to express deep ideas clearly.
- What can you take from it?
- Use symbols to communicate complex concepts.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is a symbol better than a word?
- How do you choose the right symbol?
Another view
Symbols can be ambiguous and open to misinterpretation.
More from Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Milton had a highly imaginative, Cowley a very fanciful mind.
Permalink to quote #102 Veracity does not consist in saying, but in the intention of communicating truth.
Permalink to quote #104 Indignation at literary wrongs I leave to men born under happier stars. I cannot afford it.
Permalink to quote #101
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