Humour is one of those things that you recognise about the time it makes you smile. Most people would rather enjoy it than figure out its rhetorical secrets. But there’s good reason to make an effort: not everyone is born a humorist, and I believe that those of us left without the gift can still learn to throw a joke, the way even the worst apprentice learns to throw a pot—it may be a laughing stock, but it’ll hold water.
Don’t let the first line of the Quote throw you.
Quote: Practically everyone is a manic depressive of sorts, with his moments and his down moments, and you certainly don’t have to be a humorist to taste the sadness of situation and mood. But there is often a rather fine line between laughing and crying, and if a humorous piece of writing brings a person to the point where his emotional responses are untrustworthy and seem likely to break over into the opposite realm, it is because humor, like poetry, has an extra content. It plays close to the big hot fire which is Truth, and sometimes the reader feels the heat.
— E. B. White in his essay, Some Remarks on Humour.
Reading Recommendations
- Essays of E. B. White, E. B. White.
- Writings from The New Yorker 1927–1976, .E. B. White edited by Rebecca M. Dale.
- More of E. B. White’s brilliance, as featured on QQ.
A Quiver Of Quotes 
I like the way an earthen pot in the photo above, transformed in the photo below. Like you beautifully said, “It’s not about the vessel…”
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Thanks! I tried to get the visual symbolism right in this one.
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Did you write those lines below the quote, about the truth? Regardless, it’s wonderful and the metaphor of truth as heat, sounds amazing. Great post, as usual!
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Indeed, I did write the lines below the quote. Thanks! 🙂
The E. B. White quote inspired me.
(As a general rule I try to be very rigorous about this: whenever I quote or paraphrase someone I will add a clear citation; so no citation, means it’s my own work.)
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I understand that. Those lines were really beautiful and raised some wonderful questions and thoughts. Always a pleasure to read you posts!
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Thanks! 🙂
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Excellent work, as usual. Great line as well…”it’s not about the vessel, but what you put in it.”
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Thanks!
I’m glad you liked that line 🙂
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Love this! The idea of humour conveying an, often painful, truth is so powerful!
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Thanks 🙂
E. B. White sure knew what he was talking about!
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