WORD. No, I am not agreeing with a dawg. I am drawing attention to the nature of "word" and words: the complexities, connotations, multiple meanings. I am picking up my green highlighter and coloring the importance of a paragraph. I am circling, underlining, scribbling, crossing out, writing, writing, writing for its sake (not just mine). If it has not been made apparent yet, I am a lover. My significant other? Language.
Reading is boring. My shoulders tense as I hear this. They must not know what it is like to be swallowed whole by the swirling smoke of a book. I hate English. I wonder how one can say that. Do you hate every syllable that comes out of your mouth? What about foreign languages? Are they just as despicable? Nein, нет, Não, Geen, Non, いいえ, Ingen, 沒有, No! Language is the source of all understanding. Without it, we would be struggling to coexist and communicate.
Language plays an essential role in self expression. Whether the pen chooses a poem, a rant, a novella, or just a few lines, it is all a part of the endless growing process. It is through writing and discovering new ideas through words that one gains a better understanding of oneself. As one can witness while reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, writing has the potential to relieve one from inner frustrations. Writing offers an outlet in which to act freely and discover emotion. The reader witnesses, throughout the novel, how Stephen becomes closer to language. It is clear, as seen through his speech, that he enjoys words. The power of writing is exemplified when Stephen decides that his desire to be a writer is worth abandoning his current life. One sees the affect that language holds when Stephen decides that he will choose that over Ireland. It is also wanting of freedom that leads Stephen away from Ireland. This theme of freedom is reinforced with the free act of writing.
If it were not for words, appearing on white lines, coming out of mouths, the thoughts of people would be severely limited. It is for this reason that one should be grateful for words. The world of 1984 presents the potential of "Newspeak". This form of speech makes expression limited because of what the author can say. "Newspeak" shortens the extent of expression by destroying words. It is with the destruction of words that free ideas are lessened.
It is through communicating that one interacts with others. Facial gestures can provide some form of understanding, however, do not match the power of a sentence. Words are what enable us to voice different opinions. If it were not for words, one may just accept everything as it was. Thoughts would be halted due to the fact that they could not be expressed. The beauty in language is that there can be dozens of outlooks on one subject. There is no "right answer" in expressing an idea. Everything is open for discussion.
I would lay my body on the line in defense of words. This may appear trivial to some, but, when one realizes the key role that language plays in society, one may think differently. Without language, there would be no blog. There would be no laughing. No questioning. No... Life's limitations would be far greater if one did not have the opportunity to express oneself with language. I am ready to stand up and lessen the limitations.
Across the Universe
Picture yourself in a boat on the river. With tangerine trees and marmalade skies.
where do your roots extend?
6 comments:
In terms of this reader, you are "preaching to the choir."
You conclude, "Life's limitations would be far greater if one did not have the opportunity to express oneself with language. I am ready to stand up and lessen the limitations."
I think about lessening the limitations.
There is an outcry that the internet and cell phones are evil because students do not read as they should. Many of us contend that students read more and write more.
We are watching an evolution of language and communication. Our world no longer is the vast expanse that it once was. Oh, sure, the miles remain between continents,but our ability to communicate is almost instantaneous. I write this message tonight and send. Within seconds it will be available for you to read.
The language we use is changing. In some respects we are returning to old English, some say. The abbreviations of words...the shorthand of text messaging....suggest this.
Yet people continue to read and to write. Will this evolution cause a loss in the richness of language? You mention James' Portrait. I can think of dozens of books that have transported me from my world to the worlds of the past and future.
I rarely read books anymore. I listen to them. Listening has its advantages and disadvantages. Listening to the written word, however, draws one into the author's world in a different way. Regardless, whether I listen or read, I am mesmerized by the words.
Your blog makes me smile.
You might enjoy reading A History of Reading by Alberto Mangue.
I liked all of the novels that you have cited. It allows your paper to feel more cultured. And I think that all people would agree that words are necessary to our culture. Maybe you could have defined your blog a little more into something like the "freedom of words, no matter what" or "the creative license of authors." To have it as such a broad topic, I don't know; I just wish that I had something less mind boggling than the whole of language, written and spoken. Even if you had limited it to just one concept to talk about in this blog, I think it would have been slightly stronger.
I agree. I believe that language is very important to our lives. I would not have, however, thought about writing about it.
When reading your blog, I found the introduction to be an extremely effective opening to your argument. It was highly energetic, and really caught my attention.
The energy you had in the beginning of the blog was not lost either. This blog was laden with emotional appeals, but did so in such a manner as to enhance the argument rather than to weigh it down. As one reads through the post, the momentum of your writing builds, creating this massive climax from which the reader can almost leap off of. Great job.
theteach--
I am always thankful for your thoughtful responses. There is a constant language revolution, and I plan on checking out that article you mentioned. I was in Germany (enriching my German tongue) so I have not had the chance yet. It is always nice to find those who connect with your words. I find it interesting that you listen to books. I can only recall listening to Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven, because someone lent it to me. It definitely does give you a different perspective when you hear someone else's voice dictate words on paper.
zizzi--
that is a good point. i could have made it more powerful by narrowing my focus. i just have a broad love for all things connected to language. i was feeling very grateful for all aspects when i wrote this.
ziggy--
i am glad you appreciated the energy. i try to incorporate some sort of amusement in my writing for the reader's benefit. thank you for finding it interesting.
You write: "It definitely does give you a different perspective when you hear someone else's voice dictate words on paper." Yes, a different perspective. The reader can influence the listener. I discovered that one narrator who reads a particular series did not really change his voice sufficiently in the next series to keep me from imagining the characters of the first series. The mental picture I had created of those earlier characters occurred when I began listening to the second series. I had to work on changing my mental images.
You said you had traveled to Germany to enrich you German tongue. Is German your native language?
No, German is not my native tongue. However, I do plan on making myself as fluent as possible (with German being one of my majors).
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