On writing and humanity
"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." – Michelangelo
One who understands the evolutionary power pushing writing through humankind will discover both the origin and destiny of humanity.
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free,” wrote Michelangelo, himself a mere human like each of us, yet a human who sought nothing less than to elevate through his vision, from humble rock toward divinity. One could say his language was that of form primarily. Yet underlying this were the qualities of his aspirations, his vision, his terribilita (a sense of sublime awe). Such qualities drove the hammer and guided the chisel. They called him to return each day to complete his work. But we cannot merely settle on lofty principles, for these orbit something of more enduring essence: the symbol.
It was the god within the marble that Michelangelo sought to release from its opaque prison. How did that rock form over millions of years to become the statue of a man named David, that to Florence some 500 years later, thousands continue to flock, boarding planes and trains to witness it? They had heard of its perfection, or perhaps out of chance decided to visit the Galleria dell'Accademia. They witness an exemplification of our humanity, a superlative likeness, a symbol of who we are as a species, a megalith lifted into the light of the Platonic idea (εἶδος) by the mind and hands of a craftsman five hundred years earlier.
We may look at it in wonder, awed by the degree of skill and mastery applied by the sculptor. The statue reflects not only its maker, but all makers; it is a symbol of all human creative perfection. The statue itself is one exemplar, yet contributes to the larger story of the best of humanity. The wider narrative is nature shaped into an eternal mirror reflecting the truth of the human being.
The best of writing is the same, only in a different medium. Words that are carefully, skilfully placed evoke those symbols from whose depths arise the foundations of civilisation. Among all languages and peoples, we evoke through our language the very ideas, principles, laws, stories, even the more ordinary things, that all keep us buoyant and orientated on this singular sea-blue marble spinning amid a trillion stars. With language, we shape our world from the rawness of nature into something with the potential to be so articulate it transcends ourselves. We explore the unknown by our language. By it, we resolve present misunderstanding and confusion, just as we create the same with poorly chosen words. And we learn from our records of the past, our histories, legends, and tales how we were, gaining perspective on who we are becoming. All of this with words.
Words cover many layers and levels of our existence, from beast to angel. How we use them will determine our station in life. They elevate or degrade, enchant, corrupt, or enlighten. Words indeed have the potential to be powerful, as becomes clear for one who surveys their impact. Across the ages, as today, their power endures. Would one not want then to learn the ways of words, and for a good end?
