The Power of Language and Poetry
Language is power.
Even the mere action of sitting down to write — pencil touching paper or finger on touch screen — inspires thought and emotion. It is a physical manifestation of something intangible, an abstraction meant to capture moments forever, otherwise lost in time.
Through the use of language, writing has the power to heal, to inspire, to destroy. It can bring a nation together or rip it apart; inform and educate or incite hatred and violence. Language is the very stuff of life — the words we speak have shaped our communities, civilizations, and world for thousands of years.
Writing has power because language does: strength in numbers is an appropriate thing to say when talking about language, for we all speak it. It is amazing to consider the sheer number of different languages spoken in our world.
An estimated 7,102 living languages exist today. They may have different words and rules, but all people communicate using the same building blocks of speech. The number of languages is remarkable, considering that roughly half the world lives in an area with only one dominant language.
Language gives man power: it enables him to communicate with others and pass on knowledge. It is how we establish relationships, brainstorm ideas, and teach our children.
