Translucence in writing is more effective than transparency.

"Translucence in writing is more effective than transparency, just as glow is more revealing than glare."

James Thurber

Photo: A wild geranium leaf glows in a forest of aspen; Oh-Be-Joyful Trail, Crested Butte, CO; September 22, 2012.  While the attempt to understand transparently leads to literalism, translucence fosters a sense of mystery by leaving more to the imagination.