--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A diary is more or less the work of a man…" description: "\"A diary is more or less the work of a man of clay whose hands are clumsy and in whose eyes there is no light.\" — Wallace Stevens" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/wallace-stevens-846_clay_a-diary-is-more-or-less-the-work-of-a-ma_139293.jpg" --- # A diary is more or less the work of a man of clay whose… ![“A diary is more or less the work of a man of clay whose hands are clumsy and in whose eyes there is no light.” quote by Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/wallace-stevens-846_clay_a-diary-is-more-or-less-the-work-of-a-ma_139293.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/wallace-stevens-846_clay_a-diary-is-more-or-less-the-work-of-a-ma_139293.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/236/wallace-stevens-846_clay_a-diary-is-more-or-less-the-work-of-a-ma_139293.jpg) > “A diary is more or less the work of a man of clay whose hands are clumsy and in whose eyes there is no light.” [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer feels his work is clumsy and lacking insight, reflecting personal inadequacy. **In simple terms:** The writer sees his work as clumsy and uninspired. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection and seek growth. Themes self‑doubt creativity artistic struggle Mood reflective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing - personal journaling - creative projects Key Concepts existentialism self‑critique Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑critique affect your creativity? - What can you learn from perceived flaws? A Different Perspective The perspective may undervalue genuine expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Diaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diaries/) [Diary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diary/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [When you have clay in your hands, it's hard to avoid making birds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-zeisel/when-you-have-clay-in-your-hands-it-s-hard-to-avoid-making-birds/) [Eva Zeisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-zeisel/) > [“The future? The future was the clay in their hands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/the-future-the-future-was-the-clay-in-their-hands/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [“Truth was like clay. Whoever had their hands on the clay could shape it however he wanted. My hands were nowhere near the clay.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-zunker/truth-was-like-clay-whoever-had-their-hands-on-the-clay-could-shape/) Chad Zunker > [“Water doesn’t shape like clay when you move it with your hands. I've spent a lot of time swimming, and none of my motion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/water-doesn-t-shape-like-clay-when-you-move-it-with-your-hands-i-ve/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [But at the same time, in reality, what a difference there is between the world today, and what it used to be! And with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/but-at-the-same-time-in-reality-what-a-difference-there-is-between/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“His life was a constant war with insensate objects that fell apart, or attacked him, or refused to function, or viciously got themselves lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/his-life-was-a-constant-war-with-insensate-objects-that-fell-apart-or/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [I readily admit that I have such a great respect for what happens in the human soul that I would be afraid of disturbing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/i-readily-admit-that-i-have-such-a-great-respect-for-what-happens-in/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [The underlying crime in Watergate was a clumsy, third-rate burglary in an election campaign that turned out to be a landslide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-t-conway-iii/the-underlying-crime-in-watergate-was-a-clumsy-third-rate-burglary-in/) [George T. 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It is the most inefficient, the most clumsy, the most unpractical… It reduces wisdom to impotence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-briffault/democracy-is-the-worst-form-of-government-it-is-the-most-inefficient/) [Robert Briffault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-briffault/) > [Early on a difficult climb, especially a solo climb, you’re hyper-aware of the abyss pulling at your back, constantly feeling its call, its immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/early-on-a-difficult-climb-especially-a-solo-climb-you-re-hyper-aware/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [At 15 I was very clumsy, big feet and my footwork wasn't great. I was definitely not quick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-de-minaur/at-15-i-was-very-clumsy-big-feet-and-my-footwork-wasn-t-great-i-was/) [Alex de Minaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-de-minaur/) ## More by Wallace Stevens > [Poet, patting more nonsense foamed From the sea, conceive for thecourts Of these academies, the diviner health Disclosed in common forms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/poet-patting-more-nonsense-foamed-from-the-sea-conceive-for-thecourts/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [The way through the world is more difficult to find than the way beyond it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/the-way-through-the-world-is-more-difficult-to-find-than-the-way/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [The magnificent cause of being, The imagination, the one reality In this imagined world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/the-magnificent-cause-of-being-the-imagination-the-one-reality-in/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [Music falls on the silence like a sense / A passion that we feel, not understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/music-falls-on-the-silence-like-a-sense-a-passion-that-we-feel-not/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [The life of the city never lets you go, nor do you ever want it to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/the-life-of-the-city-never-lets-you-go-nor-do-you-ever-want-it-to/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [After a lustre of the moon, we say We have not the need of any paradise, We have not the need of any seducing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/after-a-lustre-of-the-moon-we-say-we-have-not-the-need-of-any/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [I am what is around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/i-am-what-is-around-me/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [“We live in an old chaos of the sun, Or old dependency of day and night, Or island solitude, unsponsored, free, Of that wide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/we-live-in-an-old-chaos-of-the-sun-or-old-dependency-of-day-and-night/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [“Lunar Paraphrase" The moon is the mother of pathos and pity. When, at the wearier end of November, Her old light moves along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/lunar-paraphrase-the-moon-is-the-mother-of-pathos-and-pity-when-at/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [Poetry is the scholar's art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/poetry-is-the-scholar-s-art/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [“The stars are putting on their glittering belts, They throw around their shoulders cloaks that flash Like a great shadow's last embellishment”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/the-stars-are-putting-on-their-glittering-belts-they-throw-around/) [wallace stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [Unfortunately there is nothing more inane than an Easter carol. It is a religious perversion of the activity of Spring in our blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/unfortunately-there-is-nothing-more-inane-than-an-easter-carol-it-is/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [The word is the making of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/the-word-is-the-making-of-the-world/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [It is never the thing but the version of the thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/it-is-never-the-thing-but-the-version-of-the-thing/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) > [“There is a perfect rout of characters in every man—and every man is like an actor’s trunk, full of strange creatures, new & old.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/there-is-a-perfect-rout-of-characters-in-every-man-and-every-man-is/) [Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) [Explore all 352 Wallace Stevens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/) ## More Clay quotes > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. 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