Back it up, you say! Whaaaaat?
A lot of you know I'm a little bit crazy when it comes to vocabulary and grammar. But, really? READING the dictionary? Well, let's just say that I was bored. And while some of you may plop down to play some video games, I call reading quality entertainment. And hey, reading and words, two of my favorite things in one place! I say, go for it. Now, I'm known by friends for entertaining myself for long periods of time using a thesaurus which I have named 'Sheila'. It's fun! But a dictionary, now that's a whole new level of nerdy, even for me. I realize it, and I accept it... But hey, what can I do!
Words... Words are like an obsession I have. Learning words, using words. Maybe it's because I'm a writer, or maybe it's something completely separate that I can't explain... There are endless possibilities for words. Words are the way that we express ourselves, and they way that we hold back. They are in our mind, in our hearts, and in our world. They are secret weapons we hold dear to our souls, whipping them out in times of frantic struggle. They are used to soothe, to swoon, to surrender. Words control us, and we control then. One word can change a sentence, a story, a love, a life. Whether we realize it or not, words are the very epicenter of everything we know and hold dear.
There is a word for everything. Person. House. Tree. These are just the beginning- the mere foundation of a palace holding untold secrets and knowledge. Like this immortal castle, words are vast and limitless. They owe us no boundaries through language and life, and they ask for nothing in return. Words are molded through time, shaped in our hands as we wish, but they still endure. And through their many evolutions, we look back and remember what once was. As times turn, we still have the memories etched into our existence, and it is all due to words. Sometimes, we have only the words of our wise predecessors to guide us out of the shadows and back into the light. Words are our guide through murky waters of uncertain depth, words are our power; our strength; our glory. Words allow us to live.
And this is why I love words. Writing ties hand in hand, I suppose. Words are my breath, my passion, my muse. And this, my faithful and patient readers, is the topic of today's post. Words. (If you haven't already figured that out....)
And then, there's this thing called poetry, which, as many of you have already realized, I love very much. Not just poetry, but the intricate combinations of words which make it up... Words that do not naturally fall together. Sometimes, they make little sense outside the realms of that one poem. But in that moment and instance, they flow together perfectly. They float, float above the world of the ordinary, intertwining and escaping the cage which other genres of literature imprison them in. One of my favorite poems is the Auguries of Innocence, by William Blake, and it says:
"Every night and every morn
Some to misery are born
Every morn and every night
Some are born to sweet delight
Some are born to sweet delight
Some are born to endless night"
The significance of these words, and the remainder of the work, has impacted my life in the most profound and unexpected way. And I doubt that these words will impact yours, or anyone else's for that matter. Or they may, in an entirely different way. And that is the magic of poetry. It means something different to everyone. You may see bees, whilst I see butterflies, if that makes any sense at all. But that's the point, isn't it? Making sense of nonsense, that's the meaning of everything!
Perhaps the perfect example of this is e.e. cummings' love story of anyone and no one, the classically nonsensical poem anyone lived in a pretty how town.
"children guessed (but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her"
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more
when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her"
Nonsense? Gibberish? Ramblings of a madman? Maybe, quite possibly in fact. Or maybe, just maybe, it isn't so crazy after all. You have to stare at the words long enough (the whole poem, mind you, not just this excerpt!), and eventually something clicks and a story unfolds, a meaning emerges!. And all of the sudden you understand, and the nonsense is gone! Everything makes perfect sense, and you realize this is not the work of a loon but the work of a genius- a poet!
Alright, when I began this post, I was planning on writing a list of words that mean something to me. I was not planning on going all deep and philosophical on you about the English language and poetry... I would apologize, but I don't think I need to because this truly is the epitome of my mind. I suppose that is what a blog is for, whether anyone cares but me or not. So, let's just get to the list! Here are a few of my favorite words- now, let me make it clear that I have an obscene amount of favorite words. This is like a snippet, because if I wrote them all it would basically fry my computer, your computer, and quite possibly the entire internet, and it might even cause the apocalypse. Also, I just used two of my favorite words in the past two sentences! YAY! Can you guess which ones?
So, here's my list, in no specific order.
(Also, I tried to make it words that you guys would probably know... I kept it simple.)
obscene, fathom, debacle, elixir, truth, tattered, endless, miracle, abyss, blatant, eternity,
immortal, illuminate, ominous, naive, oblivion, silhouette, whisper, memory, essence, imagine,
ripple, bliss, thoughtless, hurtling, fragile, etch, secret, whirl
These words are unique because of two factors- their meaning, and their voice. Their... voice, you say? Yes, voice, vibe, feeling. However you wish to describe that which is there. The reality is that words speak to people. Not in the sense that I would speak to you, but in their own magical way. (magic- another beautiful word!) When you read a word, you automatically think or feel something. It true for all words, but especially for words like these. At least, they are special for me. Words speak to different people differently. While my heart flutters when the music of "bliss" reaches my ears, and I lose my breath at the wispy sound of "silhouette", perhaps it is "elegant" or "hooligan" or "rampage" or "bread". Words can make you laugh, or cry.
Words can come in poetry. Books. Magazines. Television. Movies. Music. Plays. Even in reality. By saying a word, you have the power to change yourself and others in a single breath. Words are the foundation of the palace, they are the structure of the palace, they are the roof of the palace, they are the paint on the walls, the furniture in the rooms, the thrones in the kings' chamber, they jokes which the jester relays, the animals on the grounds, the groundskeepers on the animals, the sky above, the grass below, and everything in between. Words are everything. Literally. All of the things I just said in this entire post are words. Interpret them as you may.
xx Curiosity Kills (curiosity- great word!)
