Analyzing the Power of Literature

Power of Literature

Understanding the power of the written word and following its discipline and various pathways is literature. It does not matter what the subject of a literary piece is. It does not make any difference whether the subject of a piece of literature is religion, philosophy, fiction, an idea or a doctrine; literature is one of the most effective ways of communication and transfer of human knowledge throughout the ages (Gulen, 2010). Literature has developed and transferred us not just the stories of civilizations and their philosophies, it is an excellent research material for the development of humanity, their ideas and thought processes throughout the centuries. The English language, due to its widespread usage has communicated more than many other languages. Literature has been written inexhaustibly for this particular language. It is through the written word of this language that we have material that speaks of history, romance, fiction and so much more. The English language today is the most spread and understood language in the world, every other person is aware if not well versed in the language. According to Maria Freund,

"Reading and writing, the basic principles involved in the study of English, serve as the gateway to a deeper level of thought. Reading, writing, comprehension, analysis, and interpretation increase efficiency in multiple ways including communication, documentation in other areas of study, and reflection of personal values. I believe there is no area of study that English and communication skills do not influence" (Freund cited in Nowell 2015).

Emily Dickinson (1830- 1886) was almost invisible in her time, no one recognized her poetry; a then less understood form of the written word. Today, she is hailed as one of America's greatest poets. Many literary critics view her lyrics as one of the best of all time. Emily and her work has been extensively studied and scrutinized in the last fifty years or so. Several papers and researches have been produced trying to explain her life and her work.

As Emily herself says, "I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine" (Dickinson, 2016). Very few forms of poetry can and do speak as powerfully as Emily's work:

"If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me; I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way" (Dickinson, 2009)?

American literature in its current developed form owes greatly to the words of Emily Dickinson. American literature as it is today, is much more stable and developed, unlike how it was in Emily's time. It was this unstable time, during which this amazing woman contributed to American literature (Emily Dickinson's Life). Her expression can be related to and that is what gives her poetry the edge that it has, one can see their lives reflected through the lyrics of her poems and feel how true she has spoken about humans!

Another figure that is considered the very foundation of modern American literature is Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), occupying his own prominent page in American Literary history. Hemingway is often regarded as the father of modern American fiction (Balakrishnan, 2003). If one was to scrutinize the work of Hemmingway, they would realize that his novels have repeatedly focused around two things: "the general drama of human pain' and truly powerful narrative, something that the Nobel Prize was rightly deserved for." (Goodman cited in Balakrishan)

His novels have repeatedly posed deeper more relevant questions regarding the human condition. These symbolic questions wrapped in prose and Hemingway's unique "private investigator" style has led many towards the road to self-discovery.

According to Hemmingway, "The writer's job is to tell the truth," which is what he told repeatedly in his novels. The writer's constant obsession with writing the truth made him think of little else, in his own words:

"All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." Hemingway's style is crisp, terse and economical, not a flowery phrase in sight. This style of writing is considered to be the writer's most valued contribution to literature as a whole, especially the American literature (Poetry Foundation, 2016).

The way Hemingway's thematic influence has developed many consider it a victim of its own success. The writer has reputedly tried to confront the human conditions and affliction in the most non-flowery way possible. There is little that can compare to the blunt, borderline harsh truths of Hemmingway, and that is why his writing was such a fresh breath of air in the twentieth century.