Quotation
Quote by Edgar Allan Poe
Man is an animal that diddles, and there is no animal that diddles but man.
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Understanding this quote
The quote makes a deliberately broad claim about human nature: people are animals, but supposedly the only animals that “diddles.” The repeated wording stresses human uniqueness. Because “diddles” can have several meanings, the exact behavior is unclear without context; the line’s main force is its provocative comparison between humans and all other animals.
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- Source
- The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition
- Format
- Book
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