Quote#Wisdom
A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct
Quote byWilliam Cowper · 1731–1800
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Conversation (1782), Line 235.
English (original)
A tale should be judicious, clear, succinct; The language plain, and incidents well link’d; Tell not as new what ev’ry body knows; And, new or old, still hasten to a close.
— William Cowper
More from William Cowper
Man disobeys, and deity disowns me.
But oars alone can ne'er prevail To reach the distant coast; The breath of Heaven must swell the sail, Or all the toil is lost.
Damned below Judas; more abhorred than he was.
Beware of desp'rate steps! The darkest day (Live till tomorrow) will have passed away.
Absence from whom we love is worse than death, And frustrate hope severer than despair.
Oh! I could thresh his old jacket till I made his pension jingle in his pockets.