Many would agree that literature is an art. When I think of literature as a form of art, I think of literature’s vibrance and deep meaning. I believe that literature gives people the means to communicate things, that could be difficult to say, in an artistic way. I am fascinated by the sheer idea of literature. One author that has fed into this love of mine is Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway is a well-known American author who has the gift of wisdom. His writings speak of the truths in life. Hemingway’s artistry has compiled into a collection of impressive works. More than anything, I think Hemingway had something to say to this world and with his refined skill of writing he was able to write meaningful pieces. I am inspired by him. I would like to share a few quotes that I think demonstrate his artistry to explain truths in life in a unique way.
The first quote that I’d like to pull is, “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” This particular quote is one of my all time favorite quotes. It speaks a lot of the human nature. If you read into the quote deeper, it is easily seen how our society focuses on being better than other people. We are always in competition. But what if we measured our success on how much we have grown individually? Was Hemingway just simplifying this truth to life? His writing, though it was written many years ago, is still relevant to our modern world. They are truths of life that are ageless. He wasn’t concerned with what that specific time period’s issue was, he was concerned about humanity as a whole. The past, present, and future.
Like I said, Hemingway wrote about universal truths in life. This next quote seems to be what his logic was when he sat down to write, “Write hard and clear about what hurts.” Isn’t that where all writing stems from? All writing stems from some sort of hurt, some sort of pain, some sort of negative emotion. That does not mean that the writing itself has to be negative, in fact a lot of times it is not. We write about the things that hurt and connect to others who have felt this hurt and then we show them how we have grown from that hurt. We explain how that hurt has now transferred into something beautiful.
Hemingway knew this to be true when he said, “My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.” Well, Ernest Hemingway, I think you succeeded at that. In all of the quotes that I have shared, and will continue to share, you will see that this is something that is evident in all of his writing. He always does exactly that. Sometimes his simple nature of writing comes across as blunt. Hemingway can do and say whatever he wants, though, because of the respect he has acquired as a writer.
An example of how Hemingway has shown his blunt writing is in this quote, “Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.” I especially see artistry in this quote because he allows you to feel positive emotions and positive imagery and then contrasts that with the blunt last line. I love that about this quote and many others that he has written in the same fashion.
This next quote is one that I connect with because I feel as though I am at a stage in my life that this is a truth that I am close to. The quote reads, “Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about unbecoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.” Being a college student I relate to this because I am finally able to unlearn the things that I am not. Aside from being a college student, this is applicable to anyone at any stage in their lives. We always have this battle with ourselves to learn to be who we are and unlearn the things that society tells us that we are.
I am inspired every time I look at the works of Hemingway. He had a truly beautiful mind. I hope that I can write something half as meaningful and artistic as he has. He has shown me that writing doesn’t have to be complicated and intricate. To throw another quote at you, he says, “There is nothing to writing. All you have to do is sit down at the typewriter and bleed.” Given I am sitting at my brand new laptop and not a type writer, this quote is still so meaningful to me as an aspiring writer. I love that he makes it sound so easy. Hemingway has impacted the world of literature in a wonderful way. He has proven that literature really is an art.
