Shakespeare was not a genius. He was, without the distant....

“ Shakespeare was not a genius. He was, without the distant shadow of doubt, the most wonderful writer who ever breathed. But not a genius. No angels handed him his lines, no fairies proofread for him. Instead, he learnt techniques, he learnt tricks, and he learnt them well. ”

Mark Forsyth

From : The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase