Rilke Quote by Eric Gabriel Lehman
““Rilke had a line...something about fishes. Or was that by someone else? Too much had already been written, too many pages, too many words. Maybe writers would be better to just stop, himself included, so that people could catch up. Maybe one day they'd reach a limit. No more books would be able to fit into the universe's bookshelves, not another paragraph squeezed in, not even a punctuation mark. Writers would have to find something else to do. It might be the best thing.””
About This Quote
The passage humorously warns that writers may eventually saturate the universe with text, suggesting a need for new creative outlets.
In simple terms: Writers might run out of space for books, so they should find other pursuits.
Key Takeaway
Consider diversifying creative expression beyond writing.
Themes
creativity
limits
innovation
Mood
playful
speculative
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- publishing
- digital media
- artistic collaboration
- education
Key Concepts
literature
information overload
cultural production
Questions to Reflect On
- Will creative limits ever truly be reached?
- What new mediums can writers explore?
A Different Perspective
It may exaggerate the capacity of physical media.
![“I think writers would do better to consider that idea [to write to yourself], because you know yourself really well, and you never know your demographic fully. You only get into trouble if you try to please somebody you don't really understand.” quote by Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/669/donald-miller-607_demographics_i-think-writers-would-do-better-to-consi_1693203.jpg)
