"Literature flourishes best when it is half a trade and half an art"

This quote by William Ralph Inge talks to the significance of balance in literature. He suggests that literature is most effective when it is both a craft and an art. Simply put, literature must be both technically competent and innovative. On the one hand, literature needs to be crafted with skill and precision, utilizing the tools of the trade to produce a work that is well-structured and well-written. On the other hand, literature must also be innovative and creative, enabling the author to check out new ideas and express their distinct perspective. By combining these two elements, literature can reach its full potential and become something genuinely unique. Inge's quote is a suggestion that literature is a delicate balance between craft and art, and that both are necessary for it to flourish.