THE MIGHTY PEN AND TONGUE

From Sampath’s Desk:

THE MIGHTY PEN AND TONGUE

 

Pen is the tongue of the mind. The tongue is a double-edged sword and a magic wand. On the positive side, the tongue can make others knowledgeable, informative, and enlightened, and even heal wounds.  On the flip side, it can divide people, cut wedges on all perceived barriers, and also hurt or injure them. They are differently versatile. Pen is mightier and sharper than a sword or knife. They can do and undo things. Pen, tongue and language had brought about revolutions, renaissance and transformations in the past and continue to do so. Both can connect or disconnect things or people – juxtapose or transpose – work constructively or destructively! History tells that pen and/or tongue had created or destroyed Kingdoms and Empires. While it has positive plumes, it could also be the deadliest weapon.

 

After the advent of democracy, things started showing up the brighter side of freedom of expression. Many leaders with eloquence and oratory skills came to occupy the center-stage of politics and emerged victors at the hustings. This was facilitated by their fluent, powerful, and persuasive language - in short, silver-tongued speeches - deftly touching and wisely playing upon the emotions, sensitivities, and sensibilities of people. Clichés, rhetoric, and slogans of some popular leaders had become synonymous with their names - ‘Delhi Chalo’ by Subash Chandra Bose, ‘Swaraj is my birthright’ by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ by Lal Bahadur Shastry, ‘Garibi Hatao’ by Indira Gandhi, and quite recently ‘Swachch Bharat (Clean India) and Make-in-India by Narendra Modi, etc. Such soul-stirring slogans had sensationalized the causes and issues they espoused with marked success. No wonder, the pen and tongue are mightier and sharper than the sword or knife. 

  

In this context, it is worthwhile recalling the epoch-making speech of Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius - 83 BC-30 BC) before the funeral of Julius Caesar (Rome - 100 BC-44 BC) to the people assembled outside the Royal Palace after the latter was stabbed to death by a coterie who turned hostile including his most trusted confidant Marcus Junius Brutus (85 BC-42 BC). Earlier, listening to the speech of Caesar's best friend Brutus betraying and dumping his leader, the people, who questioned the ruthless killing of Caesar by the coterie got convinced into believing, accepting and acknowledging what befell Caesar was right and justified. The huge crowd was then in such a tumultuous and emotionally surcharged mood against Caesar that they had 'no love lost' for him and would not listen to even a single word against him. In such a volatile and fluid situation with commotion, undercurrents and crosscurrents running high against Caesar and in the presence of the betrayer-and-traitor-gang, Mark Antony cautiously started his epoch-making speech, treaded the verbal path carefully and cautiously, praising the undeserving back-stabbers first to guard against any possible backlash from the crowd however peppering his speech here and there with the good acts and deeds of Caesar. Carefully beginning the proceedings he thundered thus, "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him; the evil that men do lives after them ......" He slowly yet steadily reversed the mood of the recalcitrant and intransigent crowd, convinced them that Caesar fell a victim of a conspiracy of his own trusted friends and for no fault of his, and made the angry crowd re-change their mind, rise against and pounce on the anti-Caesar traitors. The rebuff speech of Mark Antony in drips and drops was tricky, tactful and mind-splitting. The rest is part of history.

A good orator doesn’t tell different things, but speaks differently, attractively, enchantingly, and mesmerizingly, making the crowd remain dumb-stricken and entranced and providing them with food for serious thought. Orators feel the pulse of the audience, assuage their ruffled feelings, if any, mollify and placate them. And such leaders easily convince people with their persuading skills as the silver-tongued Mark Antony known for his gift of the gab did.

 

Eloquent speeches convince the audience. In the same way, comedy is a serious business with the only purpose of making people laugh. Those who are jovially disposed of and humour club members have this gifted art to generate laughter in others. Comedians of the big/small screen, buffoons in a circus, clowns in specific shows and witty fellows in real life are shining examples. Bernard Shaw was once chatting with a friend standing outside his house. While so, from upstairs there was rattling noise of rolling vessels and utensils with intermittent muttering and scolding by Bernard Shaw’s wife.  Before the friend could ask what was going on, the great legendary philosopher quipped thus, “Don’t worry. It’s nothing. This is only the forerunning thunders before it rained.” No sooner did he complete this statement, the thudding bucketful of water greeted Bernard Shaw and his friend. Fully drenched but still unperturbed, Bernard Shaw risibly declared, “Didn't I tell you? It all happens serially.  It is part of my life game!”

 

History is replete with famous and towering personalities with razor-edged tongue who could brave storms and turn the tides against them aside to finally achieve their aims and goals.  On a jovial plank, ‘be quick to listen to what others say, but be slow to respond appropriately. A fool may perhaps be exposed to all if he opens his mouth hastily and prematurely without forethought, but when he learns to guard his tongue and use his discretion of silence or eloquence, as the case may be, appropriately and as the occasion demanded, he turns wise’.

 

 

R.SAMPATH