The orator yields to the inspiration of a transient occasion, and speaks to the mob, before him, to those who can hear him; but the writer, whose more equable life is his crowd which inspire the orator, speaks to the intellect and heart of mankind, to all in any age who can understand him. Henry David Thoreau
About This Quote

The orator is a man who speaks before a crowd. The writer, on the other hand is a man who writes for the intellect and heart of mankind. The orator is an entertainer, the writer is an author. The orator uses words once-removed from their original context to make his point, but the author uses words that are their own context to create his work.

Source: Walden

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