"The American mind, unlike the English, is not formed by books, but, as Carl Sandburg once said to me... by newspapers and the Bible"

Van Wyck Brooks' quote highlights a viewed difference in cultural influences in between American and English societies, particularly in how their intellectual landscapes are shaped. His assertion suggests that while the English mind is traditionally nurtured by literature, shaping its culture, character, and intellect through a long history of literary heritage, the American psyche is molded by more instant, useful sources: newspapers and the Bible.

This viewpoint speaks with the more comprehensive distinctions in the socio-cultural advancement of the 2 countries. The English literary tradition, with its deeply established respect for the classics, has historically emphasized literature as a foundation of education and cultural identity. In contrast, Brooks recommends that the American experience, reflective of its more pragmatic, fast-evolving society, discovers its intellectual and ethical guidance in more available and extensively dispersed mediums.

The reference of papers indicates the significance of a vibrant, existing, and equalized source of information for Americans. Papers encapsulate the country's spirit of development, real-time discourse, and the prioritization of practical knowledge and democratic perfects. They are a mirror of American society, recording the zeitgeist and forming popular opinion in a rapidly altering world.

Meanwhile, the Bible's influence highlights the considerable role of religious beliefs and ethical teachings in the foundation of American worths. Its explicit inclusion recommends that, for lots of Americans, these spiritual stories and ethical frameworks provide an assisting compass in the absence of a single, deep-rooted literary tradition like that of England.

Brooks' use of Carl Sandburg's words lends additional depth to this observation, as Sandburg, an American poet and reporter, embodied the ties between literature and every day life. This connection reinforces the idea that for Americans, discovering and culture are not only taken in through classical literature however are also enacted and lived through everyday communication and spiritual grounding.

In essence, Brooks' comment reflects on how different mediums have shaped societal worths and intellect, painting a photo of America as a nation of immediacy, action, and spiritual guidance, in contrast with the traditional, literature-bound awareness of England.