--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that when you're writing plays…" description: "\"I think that when you're writing plays, and I think it's also true with novels, it helps to have an ear for the music of language, for what we call poe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/tony-kushner-2204_books_i-think-that-when-you-re-writing-plays-a_2235483.jpg" --- # I think that when you're writing plays, and I think it's… ![“I think that when you're writing plays, and I think it's also true with novels, it helps to have an ear for the music of language, for what we call poetry, for the sound effects and the way that the sound can produce sensual feeling at odds with or consonant with the content of the work. Your work…” quote by Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/tony-kushner-2204_books_i-think-that-when-you-re-writing-plays-a_2235483.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/tony-kushner-2204_books_i-think-that-when-you-re-writing-plays-a_2235483.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a98/tony-kushner-2204_books_i-think-that-when-you-re-writing-plays-a_2235483.jpg) > “I think that when you're writing plays, and I think it's also true with novels, it helps to have an ear for the music of language, for what we call poetry, for the sound effects and the way that the sound can produce sensual feeling at odds with or consonant with the content of the work. Your work is also gorgeous writing. It's very unfortunate when you open a novel that everybody's loving and it's just, you know, an excruciatingly bad sentence.” [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing benefits from listening to language's rhythm, using poetic sound to evoke feeling that may align or clash with meaning. **In simple terms:** Language's music shapes emotional impact. Key Takeaway Cultivate ear for lyrical prose. Themes writing poetry sound emotion Mood inspirational thoughtful Type creative educational When to use this quote - playwriting - novel writing - editing - literary workshops Key Concepts prosody sensory imagery literary aesthetics Questions to Reflect On - How does sound influence narrative tone? - When does lyrical language hinder comprehension? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on sound can obscure clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Consonants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consonants/) [Ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ears/) [Effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effects/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Gorgeous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gorgeous/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Novels Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novels-helps-5045746/) [Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odds/) [Open Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-novel-5045747/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [Sensual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensual/) [Sentences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentences/) [Sound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound/) [Sound effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sound-effects/) [Think Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-writing/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunate/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-plays/) ## Related quotes > [I think 'Gatsby' is hobbled, in part, by its status as a Great American Novel. 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