At times, language cannot be used to describe something. Everyday people fish around to find the "perfect" words to illustrate a special moment. It is not always an easy task to find those words and at times words can simply not recapture what one would like it too. Many believe that words hold the truth and stand as the basis and evidence for actions; however, there are times when words do no justice. In the poem "The Problem of Describing Trees", the author Robert Hass searches for the right words to describe the gorgeous and memorable moments of the trees. However, he runs into difficulty in describing exactly what he saw. Several times Hass stops himself and says, "No". "There are limits to saying, in language, what the tree did." (Hass) This author believes that this special moment cannot only be described by just words. Even though he yearns to tell us of his encounter it cannot be done. For Rodney Jones in his poem “Hubris at Zunzal” this is not the case. Jones experiences the opposite feeling and believes that words describe everything. For him there is “No image like the image of language.” Jones writes his poem with descriptive details of his day on the beach in 1984. This allows us as the readers to be able to close our eyes and envision exactly what he was seeing at that specific moment. For Jones it was easy to find the correct words for his description. Both authors have opposite views of language. While one believes that language is the key to remembering everything, the other believes that at times words are not enough. This whole concept is what makes language such a slippery vehicle.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I completely agree with you. Words cannot always describe what you want to say, but in some cases they do, like in the case of Jones' poem, but in the case of Hass he couldn't find words to explain how he felt. I also just want to say that the way you write is very clear and easy to read, which makes it easier for me and other readers to comprehend your message.
ReplyDelete