“Words are of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind†These words were famously said by Rudyard Kipling, the writer of such accredited works as The Jungle Book and Just so Stories. I’m not so sure I agree completely however I think I understand what he is trying to say. Kipling used the word “drug†to describe words, but a more appropriate word would be “toolâ€Â. He was trying to express the power of words and what one is capable of doing with them. There many ways to use words, one such is writing.
Being a sophomore in college, I have put off taking my required English courses for over a year only because I loathe the writing process. It’s tedious and most often boring. However, there is much more to writing than college essays. Writing is not only grammar and syntax, or ability to do research. Good writing evokes feelings and triggers emotions that keep the reader interested and may convince anyone of anything.
Writing gives one a voice in which their opinion can be heard. For many people, it is much easier to write than to speak in public. It can be as simple as a Myspace blog about how “the man†is bringing us down or it can be as elaborate as a well researched report on the effects of industrialization on the ecosystem. Writing also offers the possibilities to reach a larger audience than many public speaking opportunities. There are no limits to what can be written about or what one can say.
Of course, writing will help one improve their reading skills or with any other assignment in an English class, or used to makes ones opinion heard, but writing is also an important tool in learning. Benjamin Disraeli once said that “the beat way to become acquainted with a subject is to write about it. Writing can help with the exploration of a new subject or tom become more knowledgeable about one that is already familiar. Writing about a subject will familiarize one with its vocabulary and help one to understand different types of writing. There is written material on every subject possible, and the future is always open to new writers on new subjects.
Personally, I have also found that writing can help one to understand a foreign language. I have previously studied French, Spanish, and Japanese; and the more I wrote, the more my speech improved. It is essential in any language to be familiar with all aspects and the same is true for English. The more one writes, the more their speech and reading will improve. In English everything is connected and in the broader scope, English is what ties everything together.
So, I encourage everyone to go write something. Maybe it’s just a cute note to somebody who is dear or maybe a letter to the president telling him to do his job better. Whatever the reason, it is important to be heard. Somebody will be impacted, somehow.
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