When I hear the hypercritical quarreling about grammar and style, the position of the particles, etc., etc., . . . I see that they forget that the first requisite and rule is that expression shall be vital and natural . . .
Source: Journals, 1906, entry for 2 Jan 1859.
-- Henry David Thoreau, (Jul 12 1817-1862), US essayist, poet, naturalist; He is best known for his description of life at Walden Pond, Walden, 1854 and his essay Civil Disobedience, 1849.