Quotation Reflection

“I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” - James Michener

This quote is intriguing because for me, it is true and I also enjoy the pun. When writing, I often find that my first few drafts are not nearly as good as when I take time to review my writing and find mistakes. I feel that there is always something that can be changed to make my papers better and I can assure you that this paper will have several errors in it. It is always smart to reread and rewrite because there is always room for improvement. It is easy to find parts of my papers that need improvement and is also just as easy to pick out the strong points.

This quote has a direct sense of purpose. The purpose of this quote is to state that although you may not be a great writer, reviewing your work can always be beneficial. James Michener was a famous American novelist. James was most likely trying to communicate to his audience that even though he was viewed as a brilliant novelist, he still made mistakes just like the rest of us.

James Michener did not have a direct audience when stating this, however he did realize that he was regarded as a famous novelist, so there must have been a sense of speaking to a “lesser” audience. Michener’s audience and context is unique. There was not a set time or place that Michener was looking to say this, but his quote will be around for as long as humans are able to communicate. His audience can be just about anyone. He did not know that I was going to fall upon this quote in English class, and he sure didn’t expect me to write a reflection paper on it.

James was a good communicator and said this to influence young writers and to encourage people to strive to do the best work they can. He knew people would listen to what he had to say. His statement of purpose is simple, direct, and easy to understand.