"Somebody said that it couldn't be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it."
—
Edgar A. Guest
"My
God! The English language is a form of communication! Conversation isn't just crossfire where you
shoot and get shot at! Where you've got to duck for your life and aim to kill! Words aren't only bombs
and bullets —no, they're little gifts, containing meanings!"
—
Philip Roth
(Portnoy's Complaint)