“True, This! —
Beneath the rule of men entirely great
The pen is mightier than the sword. Behold
The arch-enchanters wand! — itself is nothing! —
But taking sorcery from the master-hand
To paralyse the Cæsars, and to strike
The loud earth breathless! — Take away the sword —
States can be saved without it!” - Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy, 1839.
The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword
Edward Bulwer-Lytton coined that adage , in 1839. And since then that one sentence has been used so many, many times; over, and over. Sometimes it’s been used to address the exact idea it communicates, most other times it’s been used to communicate a lot of different interpretations. This post will be using that sentence to communicate a different interpretation of it.
The original interpretation, in it’s most simplest form of the adage conveys to us that communication, or freedom of speech is a more better tool to bring about change than violence. This idea, and interpretation stands every bit true as it ever were, more so since the advent of the Internet.
Using The Sharp Edge Of That Pen
As I sit here, and read the script of the play by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, I find myself asking more personal questions about that one particular line. Had I’d the opportunity to ask Mr. Edward, I would’ve. But alas, like always I’m late to the game!
“Take away the sword - States can be saved without it!”
Again, and again I find myself coming back to this one sentence quoted above. I can’t help but wonder, and ask myself - What about personal battles? What about using that mighty pen, as a tool against your own daemons?
The answers that resounds, consist of facts pointing to the thought - that I’ve been doing exactly that! Not so very long ago, I wrote about morning pages. I write tons, every day. Not to save the planet, not to save my country, or the queen we’ve elected to lead our states. But to save myself.
The Creation Of That Thought Filled Oasis
The more I write, the more clarity I find; everyday, about everything. The more I learn about stuff, the more I tend to write about my thoughts about that stuff. And the kind of stuff I learn about everyday varies from insights belonging to my hydra headed failings, to some newfound understanding in the world of quantum mechanics. Yea, go figure!
I am not an emotionally expressive guy, that to a degree where more often than not I don’t know how I feel, or what I am feeling. But when I do put that ink onto the paper now, I immediately understand all those feelings. For e.g. when I do feel depressed, stressed out and, sad at a time when I am scribbling, I find that my writing seems to become very incoherent. I jump from topic to topic, stuff to stuff after every few sentences, etc. More of these epiphanies strike when reading back stuff that I’ve written, too. Ergo the observation, that the pen does help fight your own self!
What all of this points to is the fact that when you’ve written your mind empty, clarity is left behind. If I may, it’s more of a form of meditation than anything else. Your decision making skills improve. Your self-emotional compass starts working for you, which in turn does make you feel lighter. It enables you to go through your emotions - something that I had a problem with before starting to write everyday. And if you do find yourself starting to write everyday, you come into a place that becomes highly personal; with all those words shinily reflecting on who you are, what you are, and ultimately what you’re capable of. It force creates this oasis of thoughts within yourself, available only to yourself - created by yourself - for yourself - where there often only existed this scrunching, dry, and abrasive sand from horizons to horizons.
The Fascination With Fountain (Ink) Pens
Ink (fountain) pens make me weak at my knees. They’re my supreme fetish of choice.
Originally, I’d intended this post to be more of a video showcase about fountain (ink) pens. But, I guess I went with the flow with that one.
This entire post was inspired by a series of videos about fountain (ink) pens, and their makers. Those videos were stumbled upon, and randomly found when browsing the Internet. The title of this post in particular is kind of a homage to “fountain” pens. Since, these videos are the inspiration behind this post, I thought I’d share them with you guys.
Fountain Pens Are Actually Fascinating
Yep, they're fascinating.
Masters of the Fountain Pen
This one’s a playlist of videos, showcasing some of the best craftsmen who make these beautiful tools. If you have some time this week, I highly suggest watching these videos. They’re simply mesmerising.
Masters of the Fountain Pen.
