“There is prodigious power in this plainness of presentation. It is the power of actual contact. A plain writer, or speaker, makes the truth and the mind impinge on each other. When the style is plain, the mind of the hearer experiences the sensation of being touched; and this sensation is always impressive, for a man starts when he is touched . . . The preacher should toil after this property of style, as he would toil after virtue itself” (Shedd, as quoted in Broadus, Preparation and Delivery, p. 340).
Have 'Em Delivered
Write to the Editor
Is plain the right word? Maybe “clear” or “obvious” or “straightforward”? Honest, well thought out, more complex ideas can punch as hard as the simple, plain thoughts, no?