In a nutshell...

pith·y (pth)
adj. pith·i·er, pith·i·est
1. Precisely meaningful; forceful and brief: a pithy comment.
2. Consisting of or resembling pith.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pithy

"A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts."
~William Strunk, Jr., The Elements of Style, 1918

"Good things, when short, are twice as good."
~Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom


The muse was upon me. I got the idea for a poem. I sat, grabbed a pen and parchment, and proceeded to write. I regard my concoction with affection and scorn. It was too long. What was I really trying to say? So I whittled it away, and this is what I came up with.

You try
You fail.

I try
I prevail.

You try
You fail
You moan
and wail.

I try
I fail
I regroup
And travail
I assail
until
I
prevail.