Autobiography Quote by Kilroy J. Oldster
““Human beings innate complexities resist reduction into simple sentences and neat paragraphs. The stories that come nearest to expressing the ambivalent nature of people are textured and occasionally inconsistent and express waves of inner uncertainty. A simile and a metaphor are not literally true. A figure of speech, symbols, and allegories are mere expressions that when interlinked with other text assist explain facts, ideas, and emotions. Useful facts are elusive; we must look for them, and then express them using whatever mechanism proves most authoritative. We can never directly describe emotions; we resort to metaphors to describe emotions and other illusive thoughts. Ideas by virtue of their untested nature are often untrue or at best rough approximations of truth. Lyrical writing is equivocal; it is never exactly true or precisely false. Lyrical language attempts to express and connect sentiments through extrapolation and misdirection. The writer’s task is to melt away durable facts, breakdown the symbolic depictions of solid reality, and discover the liquidity of a passionate inner life that provides the hot breath to our steamy humanness.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Reflections on Lyrical Language, 2015
Human experience is complex, so language uses metaphor, symbol, and allegory to convey emotions and ideas that cannot be stated directly.
In simple terms: Complex feelings need indirect expression.
Embrace figurative language to capture nuance.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- creative therapy
- literary analysis
- teaching composition
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance poetic expression with clear communication?
- When does figurative language become a barrier?
Metaphors can obscure clarity for some audiences.