Themes · 1839
Look, then, into thine heart, and write!
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow • Voices of the Night
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The instruction makes inward attention the starting point for writing. Before seeking language on the page, the writer is asked to consult personal feeling. Its brevity links the act of expression directly to that inner examination, without prescribing a subject or a form.
Context reviewed