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A little bit of Twain - Margaret Foster's Blog

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A little bit of Twain

Blog Posted:12/3/2011 5:38:00 PM


I found this in a book I enjoyed reading. 'Crow Stone' by Jenni Mills.

Thought it worth posting here.

To quote Mark Twain

"Getting the Right Word in the Right Place
To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself. . . . Anybody can have ideas--the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph."

(Letter to Emeline Beach, February 1868)




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Date: 12/4/2011 2:56:00 PM
Nice blog and pic of you , Marg! Hmmm, I wonder if Twain wrote many haiku!
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Date: 12/4/2011 10:48:00 AM
Hi Margaret! So cool to see your lovely photo here :D -- and thanks for sharing this tidbit from Mark Twain-- ah, how true he is! Putting the right word for me (and without being superfluous), is art. I need help with it though, I am sometimes just too wordy for my own good.... I suppose that's why I am so challenged with haiku? Since it pushes me to say so much with so few words....
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Date: 12/4/2011 8:40:00 AM
Sage advice! I think many of us could pare down (myself included)...a good lesson this is!
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Date: 12/4/2011 8:33:00 AM
This is why politicians don't read Twain. It takes them 12 pages to get a thought across.
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Date: 12/3/2011 7:21:00 PM
yes them jolly ol poets, were bound to show it, if it took a quarter mile, Mark Twain put on a glow a bit, left his mark by word of guile, style hey .....Don
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My Past Blog Posts

 
Dropping out
Date Posted: 1/3/2012 10:55:00 PM
Happy New Year
Date Posted: 1/2/2012 4:29:00 AM
problems and thanks
Date Posted: 12/12/2011 6:35:00 PM
A little bit of Twain
Date Posted: 12/3/2011 5:38:00 PM

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12/5/2011 Silver Strands Sonnetmystery,places,silver,
12/3/2011 How I Got Started Rhymeon writing and words,word
12/2/2011 When the Rains Come Sedokanature,people,women,old,m
11/28/2011 Despair, Hope Diamantehealth,
11/25/2011 Seasons of Love Rhymelove,autumn,love,moon,,sw
11/20/2011 Robert Burns 1759-1796 Coupleton writing and words,
11/19/2011 Haiku-Soundless In Soft Snow Haikunature,
11/15/2011 Haiku Sunrise Haikunature,
11/14/2011 Glorious Dawn Quaternnature,
11/13/2011 Haiku Double Haikunature,
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11/11/2011 A Dreamy Dessert Epulaeryufood,
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11/8/2011 The Fourth Season Tetractysnature,
11/8/2011 Wood Pigeon's Nest Light Versenature,
11/7/2011 Sunset Haikunature,
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10/31/2011 Recipe For Life Ethereelife,
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10/26/2011 Zetland ABCnature,places,
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10/24/2011 Bonfire Night Limerickanniversary,history,
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10/15/2011 Time To Retire Rhymefriendship,life,time,
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10/12/2011 Times Past Rhymenostalgia,time,time,
10/11/2011 Far Dorocha Balladfantasy,dark,dark,
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10/7/2011 Mirran Rhymefantasy,
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9/30/2011 Nature At Work Light Versenature,
9/29/2011 Ding Dong Bell Light Versefriendship,people,
9/28/2011 Peaceful Meadow Versehappiness,nature,
9/28/2011 The Futility of War Rhymeloss,war,
9/28/2011 Walk By the North Sea Versesea,
9/27/2011 A Great Wedding Rhymefood,funny,wedding,,cute,
9/26/2011 The Kirk By the Sea Coupletnostalgia,religion,love,
9/25/2011 Please Help the Guisers Rhymechildhood,halloween,
9/22/2011 Ice Queen Versenature,
9/20/2011 Monet's Water Lilies Coupletart,
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9/16/2011 Feeding Frenzy Haikunature,green,
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9/12/2011 Warm Wool Rondeaupeople,
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9/10/2011 Haunting Cinquainmusic,
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9/6/2011 Abandoned Lanternesad,
9/4/2011 Artless Flow Crystallinenature,
9/2/2011 My Ease Rhymepeace,
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8/31/2011 A Warm Byre Haikumother,
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6/26/2010 Nature's Law I do not know?naturesilver,
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6/1/2010 Koala Rhymeanimals
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5/31/2010 Understanding Lanternefaith
5/23/2010 A Small Respite Rhymelife
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5/22/2010 New Me Limerickfunny
5/21/2010 For Paul Rhymebrother,death,loss,
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5/20/2010 The Summer of Nineteen Sixty Free verselovesummer,summer,
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5/18/2010 The Dark Poet Rhymeangstdark,dark,
5/17/2010 A Young Man's Fancy Rhymefunny,parody,romance,roma
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5/14/2010 Silver Scene Haikuseasons
5/11/2010 The Maiden's Answer Quatrainparodyme,me,
5/10/2010 Spellbound Free verselove
5/8/2010 A Queen's Love I do not know?history
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5/7/2010 Unlucky Snake Limerickanimals
5/7/2010 A Wise Father Pantoumfather,son,weddingfather,
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5/3/2010 The Rose Rhymenature
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My Photos


Fav Poems

PoemTitleFormCategories
Word Sage Free versedevotion,friendship,hope,
On My Threadbare Love Sonnethusband,
My Knight I do not know?love,sensual,,sweet love,
My Heart Speaks Free verseart,passion
First Love Quatrainchildhood,love,
A Seed of Poetry Free verseart,hope,life,on writing
Words Like Wine & Water Iambic Pentameterintrospection,on writing
The Home Maker Rhymededication,work
Nocturne I do not know?,i love you,
How Kind Dawn Is Sonnetnature,
Oh Dear Moon Iambic Pentameterintrospection,life,passio
The Goddess Enclosed Rhymefantasy,
Deepening Morn Haikunature
The Sea Hag and the Funky Monkey Quatrainfantasy,imaginationdark,d
He Arose Acrosticfaith,holiday
A Poet's Happy Dream Sonnetfantasy,
Not a Tooraloora Loora . Rhymefantasy
Double Delight Versenature,seasons
Emily's Birthday Tea Party Sonnetcaregiving,
My Mother's Eyes Free verselove,mother
One Times One Equals One Versefaith,music,peopleprayer,
A Marriage of Seasons Pantoumdance,farewell,silver,
Consider Them Didacticfaith,inspirational,
Temptation Rhymelove,love,me,
Gratitude Rhymefaith,
Winter Tides Rhymesea,
Cobblestones of Quicksand Rhymelife,loss,satire,

Fav Poets

PoetCountry 
Constance La France Canada Flag Canada Read
Carolyn Devonshire United States Flag United States Read
Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen United States Flag United States Read
Andrea Dietrich United States Flag United States Read
Jacqui Topham United Kingdom Flag United Kingdom Read
Seeyam Brjmohun United Kingdom Flag United Kingdom Read
Travis Tapley United States Flag United States Read

Book: Shattered Sighs