Who said “It wasn't by accident that the Gettysburg address was so short. The laws of prose…”?

Verified

Ernest Hemingway. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetter (23 July 1945); published in Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters 1917–1961 (1981) edited by Carlos Baker

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“It wasn't by accident that the Gettysburg address was so short. The laws of prose writing are as immutable as those of flight, of mathematics, of physics.”
— Ernest Hemingway
VerifiedLetter (23 July 1945); published in Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters 1917–1961 (1981) edited by Carlos Baker · evidenceBrevity
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letter (23 July 1945); published in Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters 1917–1961 (1981) edited by Carlos Baker.

APA

Hemingway, E. (n.d.). It wasn't by accident that the Gettysburg address was so short. The laws of prose writing are as immutable as those of flight, of mathematics, of physics. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8782-it-wasnt-by-accident-that-the-gettysburg-address/

MLA

Hemingway, Ernest. “It wasn't by accident that the Gettysburg address was so short. The laws of prose writing are as immutable as those of flight, of mathematics, of physics.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8782-it-wasnt-by-accident-that-the-gettysburg-address/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Hemingway, Ernest. “It wasn't by accident that the Gettysburg address was so short. The laws of prose writing are as immutable as those of flight, of mathematics, of physics.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8782-it-wasnt-by-accident-that-the-gettysburg-address/.

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