Blank paper speech bubbles hang by fine threads from crossed wooden bars against a muted plum background.

Original artwork, not a still

Absalom and Achitophel  ·  1681

John Dryden

Who think too little, and who talk too much.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Dryden's line targets people who think too little and talk too much. The pairing is the jab: empty thought and plenty of noise. It's a compact satirical portrait of chatter without substance, the sort of talkers everyone has met.

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