I think "clever" is being applied at one level here and "insightful" is being applied at another. You can write code at the equivalent of an 8th grade reading

I think "clever" is being applied at one level here and "insightful" is being applied at another. You can write code at the equivalent of an 8th grade reading level like Hemingway wrote. Each sentence can can be basic using a small vocabulary. Put together the whole novel can have depth and be insightful. Its the difference between Hemingway and an actual random 8th grader.