I first realized how strong any language can be at a young age. As I have gotten older, I have noticed how amazing language can truly be, a person can change a way a person looks at something with a few words sewn perfectly together.
The day I truly understood the power of language was my sophomore year when I had to write a paper on Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech “I Have a Dream.” I remember reading it and thinking to myself “wow”. He had such a way with words that his dream had become my dream and that I too had wanted to make America a better place. He wanted everyone to be equals and not be judged by the color of their skin but be judged by the character of a man.
A major question popped into my head after I finished the speech, what if Martin Luther King Jr. had not written “I Have a Dream”? Would I be sitting next to an African American right now in class? Would I be able to say that I am proud to be someone who is not racist and accepts people of all races? His words were so strong that it changed a nation, his words were loud and full of passion, when you actually listen to recordings of his speech you hear the conviction that he posses and you cannot help, but be drawn in. You feel every emotion that he had felt in his life, when he wrote the speech, and the emotion he had when he gave it.
I realized when you master language, you can do anything. When you put powerful words together you make sentences that move people. Then you make powerful paragraphs then it turns into an essay or something else, but it becomes a thing bigger than itself. It is like a quilt you take bits and pieces from everywhere and put them together and it forms a beautiful work of art like language has for me.
I do not possess the power to move people with my words, but I can appreciate the people who can because they have a true talent. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to use four simple words and used them over and over and it changed the way people think.
One day I wish to possess the power to change the world, well at someone's mind, by saying something that is powerful. For instance when I am feeling sort of down, I always read some of my favorite quotes to pick me back. The words are so strong that the pull back up from ever how low I go that they pull me from my lowest depths and give me hope.
My favorite quote from his speech is “Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: / we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”- Martin Luther King Jr.” Say it out loud to yourself, to me it is powerful because he could have just said that African Americans should be considered equal, but he does not and now we have this beautiful, eye opening speech.
The day I truly understood the power of language was my sophomore year when I had to write a paper on Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech “I Have a Dream.” I remember reading it and thinking to myself “wow”. He had such a way with words that his dream had become my dream and that I too had wanted to make America a better place. He wanted everyone to be equals and not be judged by the color of their skin but be judged by the character of a man.
A major question popped into my head after I finished the speech, what if Martin Luther King Jr. had not written “I Have a Dream”? Would I be sitting next to an African American right now in class? Would I be able to say that I am proud to be someone who is not racist and accepts people of all races? His words were so strong that it changed a nation, his words were loud and full of passion, when you actually listen to recordings of his speech you hear the conviction that he posses and you cannot help, but be drawn in. You feel every emotion that he had felt in his life, when he wrote the speech, and the emotion he had when he gave it.
I realized when you master language, you can do anything. When you put powerful words together you make sentences that move people. Then you make powerful paragraphs then it turns into an essay or something else, but it becomes a thing bigger than itself. It is like a quilt you take bits and pieces from everywhere and put them together and it forms a beautiful work of art like language has for me.
I do not possess the power to move people with my words, but I can appreciate the people who can because they have a true talent. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to use four simple words and used them over and over and it changed the way people think.
One day I wish to possess the power to change the world, well at someone's mind, by saying something that is powerful. For instance when I am feeling sort of down, I always read some of my favorite quotes to pick me back. The words are so strong that the pull back up from ever how low I go that they pull me from my lowest depths and give me hope.
My favorite quote from his speech is “Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: / we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”- Martin Luther King Jr.” Say it out loud to yourself, to me it is powerful because he could have just said that African Americans should be considered equal, but he does not and now we have this beautiful, eye opening speech.
I, too, have read MLK Jr’s “I Have A Dream” speech, and it truly is intoxicating. Not just because of his emphatic voice and gestures, but also the gentle conviction in his eyes and tone. Like he can tell, without a doubt, that he is speaking the truth and the truth is pure and holy. It is very uplifting. Immediately after hearing that speech, or even just a little smidge of it, I begin to feel a sense of pride. Not just because his words are beautiful and wonderfully presented, but also because he was one of ours. We all can grow up and try and move millions in their hearts and minds, like MLK Jr. did. Although, I feel our generation lacks a cause to fight for. Our elders went through civil rights, several foreign wars, and the Depression. I don’t think many of the hipsters in our generation fight for a cause similar to our heroes of the past.
ReplyDeleteI also like the imagery you used to explain how words come together into sentences, like a quilt. Little bits from all over that come into one another to create a larger sum. And for someone who can’t move someone with your words, I have to say your entry was really well written and insightful. AND nobody is perfect in the first place.
The ability to conjure emotions through the use of words is one of the most powerful tools we as humans have in not just our own lives, but also in the lives of those around us. Not all of us will be in the position of Dr. King, speaking to the masses and spreading an idea that is so important. Most of us will spend our days in life doing those small things that matter to us, and living our lives in the best way we can.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, do we really have to be on a pedestal like Martin in order for us to exercise this power? I really do not believe so, as many of us use this power and don’t even think of it. White lies are a perfect example of how we as humans can look over small problems with others in order to help boost their views of themselves. We have the power to make a person feel good or bad just by the small adjectives we utter to them. Our speech can bring out love, kindness, peace, frustration and anger. Things that seem to be on such opposite ends of the emotional spectrum can be extracted from individuals just by emitting a few vocal cues. I hope well al can learn from this and maybe as such learn to respect the power that all of us hold in common, and is absolutely not just restricted to a man as famous as Dr. King.