“In your language you have a form of poetry called a sonnet...It is a very strict form of poetry, is it not?...There are fourteen lines, I believe, all in iambic pentameter. That's a very strict rhythm or meter, yes?...And each line has to end with a rigid rhyme pattern. And if the poet does not do it exactly this way, it is not a sonnet, is it?''No.''But within this strict form the poet has complete freedom to say whatever he wants, doesn't he?''Yes." Calvin nodded again.'So,' said Mrs. Whatsit.'So what?''Oh, do not be stupid, boy!' Mrs. Whatsit scolded. 'You know perfectly well what I am driving at!''You mean you're comparing our lives to a sonnet? A strict form, but with freedom within it?''Yes,' Mrs. Whatsit said. "You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself.”

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About Madeleine L'Engle

American writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry

Madeleine L'Engle was an American writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. She is best known for her 1962 children's book A Wrinkle in Time, which won the Newbery Medal. Her work spans several forms, but she is most closely associated with writing for younger readers. She later received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1998, an honor recognizing her lasting contribution to young adult literature.

More from Madeleine L'Engle (179 quotes) →

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Books by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time

2005

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A Wind in the Door (Time Quintet #2

1974

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Many Waters (Time Quintet #4)

1986

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A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Time Quintet #3)

1999

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An Acceptable Time (Time Quintet #5 / O'Keefe Family #4)

2007

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