--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Shakespeare's words paint pictures in…" description: "\"Shakespeare's words paint pictures in glorious colour in my language. They were written by a man whose use of words fits exactly into Xhosa.\" — John Kani" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/john-kani-7300_language_shakespeare-s-words-paint-pictures-in-gl_1895385.jpg" --- # Shakespeare's words paint pictures in glorious colour in… ![“Shakespeare's words paint pictures in glorious colour in my language. They were written by a man whose use of words fits exactly into Xhosa.” quote by John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/john-kani-7300_language_shakespeare-s-words-paint-pictures-in-gl_1895385.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/john-kani-7300_language_shakespeare-s-words-paint-pictures-in-gl_1895385.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d95/john-kani-7300_language_shakespeare-s-words-paint-pictures-in-gl_1895385.jpg) > “Shakespeare's words paint pictures in glorious colour in my language. They were written by a man whose use of words fits exactly into Xhosa.” [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shakespeare's vivid language can be translated to evoke strong visual imagery in any tongue, including Xhosa. **In simple terms:** Shakespeare's words create vivid images in any language. Key Takeaway Appreciate the universality of poetic expression. Themes literature translation culture imagery Mood reflective appreciative Type literary inspirational When to use this quote - education - creative writing - language learning - interpretive arts Key Concepts poetics cross‑cultural communication Questions to Reflect On - How does translation affect emotional impact? - What challenges arise when adapting poetic rhythm? A Different Perspective Shakespeare's style may not always align perfectly with every language's structure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Colour Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colour-language-2764206/) [Exactly Xhosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exactly-xhosa-2764203/) [Glorious Colour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glorious-colour-2764205/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paint/) [Shakespeare Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare-words-822018/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Words Paint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words-paint-2764204/) ## Related quotes > [We have cut the text, but what remains are Shakespeare's words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hall/we-have-cut-the-text-but-what-remains-are-shakespeare-s-words/) [Edward Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hall/) > [It took three years to put Shakespeare's words together, there were a lot of words to be studied and a lot of words to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/it-took-three-years-to-put-shakespeare-s-words-together-there-were-a/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [When I was 14 I was really taciturn - I hardly said a word - but then I auditioned for Shylock. With Shakespeare's words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/when-i-was-14-i-was-really-taciturn-i-hardly-said-a-word-but-then-i/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [“He was not afraid. At every moment Nature signified by some laughing hint like that gold spot which went round the wall--there, there, there--her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/he-was-not-afraid-at-every-moment-nature-signified-by-some-laughing/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“He strode forward, heedless of the murmuring that began among the women when they saw him. Then Sara turned, and her gaze met his.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/he-strode-forward-heedless-of-the-murmuring-that-began-among-the/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [If a picture is worth a thousand words, please paint me the Gettysburg Address.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-rosten/if-a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words-please-paint-me-the-gettysburg/) [Leo Rosten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-rosten/) > [“Language is not unlike art in that words contain values of lights and darks, hues and tonalities, texture and sensuality. Words can paint complex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisa-lorello/language-is-not-unlike-art-in-that-words-contain-values-of-lights-and/) [Elisa Lorello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisa-lorello/) > [To those who know thee not, no words can paint! And those who know thee, know all words are faint!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/to-those-who-know-thee-not-no-words-can-paint-and-those-who-know-thee/) [Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/) > [There are words to paint the misery of love, but none to paint its happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-elizabeth-landon/there-are-words-to-paint-the-misery-of-love-but-none-to-paint-its/) [Letitia Elizabeth Landon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-elizabeth-landon/) > [“I do not possess the ability to draw or paint. I can’t sing or dance. I can’t knit or sew. But I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-becker/i-do-not-possess-the-ability-to-draw-or-paint-i-can-t-sing-or-dance-i/) [Aubrey Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-becker/) > [“Whether you think you're right or you think you're wrong. You're right." "If you think in pictures, write. If you think in words, paint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krista-kedrick/whether-you-think-you-re-right-or-you-think-you-re-wrong-you-re-right/) [Krista Kedrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krista-kedrick/) > [Close your eyes and let the words paint a picture. One good girl is worth a thousand b\*tches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/close-your-eyes-and-let-the-words-paint-a-picture-one-good-girl-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Your words on the screen are my color palette I dip my brush into your words and paint you On the sky, on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-l-ratliff/your-words-on-the-screen-are-my-color-palette-i-dip-my-brush-into/) [Richard L. 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They all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/in-australia-i-almost-became-a-counsellor-at-the-end-of-each/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [What does Macbeth want? What does Shakespeare want? What does Othello want? What does James want? What does Arthur Miller want when he wrote?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/what-does-macbeth-want-what-does-shakespeare-want-what-does-othello/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [In 'Lion King,' the music is brilliant. The CGI is amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/in-lion-king-the-music-is-brilliant-the-cgi-is-amazing/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [Every time there is a movie that tells a South African story, it is done by someone who must be taught the right way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/every-time-there-is-a-movie-that-tells-a-south-african-story-it-is/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [In South Africa, it is different. When you are born not even your father knows what is going to happen in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/in-south-africa-it-is-different-when-you-are-born-not-even-your/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [I'd read Shakespeare in school, translated into isiXhosa, and loved the stories, but I hadn't realised before I started reading the English text how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-d-read-shakespeare-in-school-translated-into-isixhosa-and-loved-the/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [We are sort of not at the level of entertainment that the Western world is. Everything we see on the play in the screen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/we-are-sort-of-not-at-the-level-of-entertainment-that-the-western/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [We haven't got those dreams: 'I wish to become doctor or a lawyer.' 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Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [“I only have two words to say More or Less”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timbur/i-only-have-two-words-to-say-more-or-less/) [TimBur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timbur/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [What is music? Music is language. A human being wants to express ideas in this language, but not ideas that can be translated into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-webern/what-is-music-music-is-language-a-human-being-wants-to-express-ideas/) [Anton Webern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-webern/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. 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(To action little, less to words inclinded.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/finxerunt-animi-raro-et-perpauca-loquentis-to-action-little-less-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) [Browse all 21,951 Language quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Shakespeare's words paint pictures in glorious colour in my language. 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