Speakling Spelled Syllables

Again, the many-headed hydra of invasive e-mails is increasing—35 out of today’s 35 e-mails, to be exact. But one of them is from one I actually enjoy called “Inspiring Quotes,” which included the above from Victor Hugo. The opening phrase is common knowledge in my field, but the second clause opens up a new perspective. Well done, Mr. Hugo! It reminds me of William Carolos Williams quote: 

 

“It is difficult to get the news from poems,  yet men die miserably every day  for lack of what is found there.”

 

Which leads to yet another Victor Hugo quote from his masterwork Les Miserables.

 

“You are always eager to make everything useful, yet here is a useless plot. It would be much better to have salads here than boquets.”

 

…the bishop replied, “You are mistaken. The beautiful is as useful as the useful.” He added after a moment’s pause. “Perhaps more so.”

 

I read Les Miserables many years back and have several pages of notable quotes from that extraordinary piece of literature. As a lifelong reader, I’m enjoying many modern authors, but there is a clear difference between fiction and literature. The latter— Dickens, Hugo, Zora Neale Hurston, Harper Lee, J.D. Salinger— all tell good compelling stories with memorable characters, but go further into reflections on the human condition that ennoble us, open us, transform us. How rare to find that in even the best of today’s authors. (I can imagine some outraged disagreement here and would be happy to have a conversation that proves me wrong!). 

 

In my pages of quotes, I have various categories and since art, education, poetry, social justice and such are always on my mind, those are some that attracted my attention. More to come. 

 

• Man lives by affirmation even more than he does by bread. 

 

• The two highest functionaries of the state are the wet-nurse and the school teacher.

 

• The true division of humanity is this; the luminous and the dark. 

 

To diminish the number of the dark, to increase the number of the luminous, there is the aim. That is why we cry; Education! Knowledge! To learn to read is to kindle a fire, every syllable spelled sparkles.

 

May your spoken spelled syllables sparkle!