Skip to content

Once, probably, I used to think that vagueness was a…

“Once, probably, I used to think that vagueness was a loftier kind of poetry, truer to the depths of consciousness, and maybe when I started to read mathematics and science back in the mid-70s I found an unexpected lyricism in the necessarily precise language that scientists tend to use My…” quote by Don DeLillo
Download Open image
““Once, probably, I used to think that vagueness was a loftier kind of poetry, truer to the depths of consciousness, and maybe when I started to read mathematics and science back in the mid-70s I found an unexpected lyricism in the necessarily precise language that scientists tend to use My instinct, my superstition is that the closer I see a thing and the more accurately I describe it, the better my chances of arriving at a certain sensuality of expression.””

Don DeLillo

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He discovers that precise scientific language can be as lyrical as poetry, and that detailed description enhances sensual expression

In simple terms: Precision can be poetic; detail deepens feeling

Key Takeaway

Embrace precise description to enrich expression

Themes

language science poetry expression

Mood

reflective inquisitive

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • writing
  • research
  • artistic creation
  • academic study

Key Concepts

precision lyricism consciousness

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does exactness affect your creative process?
  • Can detail coexist with mystery?
A Different Perspective

Precision may limit imaginative freedom or emotional spontaneity

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Don DeLillo

Explore all 699 Don DeLillo quotes

More Mathematics and science quotes

Browse all 56 Mathematics and science quotes