Everyday Canvas

Warm and Cold, and Words

Prompt: "What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness." John Steinbeck

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At face value, the quote means the profound appreciation and thankfulness for something when we compare it to something else that may be worse; however, to me, the truth is a bit different from that.

To start with, where a person is during the summer season or metaphorically during the good times of his or her life matters. For example, where I live summers are difficult to handle. By the same token, at times when everything goes perfectly for some people, they ruin it themselves through their own actions, such as addictions, crime, mistreatment of others, etc.

As to the cold of winter, winter’s cold has its uses, too, such as killing germs and letting the seeds rest under the soil so they can burst open in spring with full energy. Metaphorically in human life, winter’s cold teaches resilience and lets a person dream dreams and store vigor to use under better conditions. It is an established fact that the difficult earlier lives can and do produce success for a good number of people.

In my opinion, summer and winter, as seasons or as metaphors, are both useful and should be experienced with care and dignity.

Prompt: "A word is dead when it is said some say. I say it begins to live that day." Emily Dickinson How do you interpret this quote?

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The quote points out, simply, to all words having possibilities because every word is suggestive with implications and associations, and words, when not said, are inert.

Although some people believe words are killed when used haphazardly, out of context, or with malice, the poet believes in the hidden life inside them and their endless meanings, and once uttered, those words breathe and live. Thus, using words properly is giving life to them.

If used improperly, an uncertainty in communication occurs. Don’t we sometimes think over what has been said to us and try to find connotations in the words of people who we are connected in some way, be it negatively or positively?

From this point of view, not only what is said but how it is said make the words gain meaning and consequence; therefore, thoughtful people and especially writers can give life to words if they stay away from generalities and take care of how and why they are using their words.