
All speech, written or spoken, is a dead language, until it finds a willing and prepared hearer.
quote by Robert Louis Stevenson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Related quotes
A language least spoken...
Its not just a cast of words,
a play of rhymes,
an irony of thoughts,
dreamed up hyperboles,
or a medley of figures of speech.
Its a poet's heart,
his only companion,
his muses, his love,
grave pain, agony,
a written laughter.
Its a poets mirror,
in which he shows himself,
his vision,
a sight for the blind,
his thoughts,
touching your lives.
Poetry:
Its though a cast of words,
but uncannily placed in a language,
a language with the same grammar,
but still; least spoken.
poem by Chaitanya Dorwat

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Everything that we inherit, the rain, the skies, the speech, and anybody who works in the English language in Ireland knows that there's the dead ghost of Gaelic in the language we use and listen to and that those things will reflect our Irish identity.
quote by John McGahern

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Speech is human nature itself, with none of the artificiality of written language.
quote by Alfred North Whitehead

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Language is legislation, speech is its code. We do not see the power which is in speech because we forget that all speech is a classification, and that all classifications are oppressive.
quote by Roland Barthes

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.
quote by Frederick Douglass

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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It Was Written
It was written in Hebrew, Greek and Latin!
Because, the English language was not spoken by then;
And like the muse of your love which is now exposed to all.
poem by Edward Kofi Louis

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The language with largest vocabulary
It has only seven letters
And has the largest vocabulary
There is no dearth
Of expression
For any situation or emotion
One same thing
Can mean a million things
King Solomon deciphered
Ants’ impression using this language
Indian mythology has it that
A much revered teacher
Taught all his disciples
Using this language
Clearing their all doubts
On any subject
It is not written
It is not spoken
It is not heard
But has in-depth meaning
And a lot application
It is not formally taught
As it has no syllabus
People pick up this
In their life paths
Some do not just pick this up
But, make excellent use of it
And successfully overcome
Difficult and challenging maneuvers
This language came into being
Long before the creation of this universe
Yes, it is not a just a global language
It is a universal language
This is in use world over
This is a common language
But often not used
This language has no grammar
No problem of spelling words wrong
There are no present, future or past tenses
There is no subject, predicate or object
As there are no sentences framed with this language
When used the person can still keep smiling
Often understood as a consent granted
Even the just new born is
As much as much eloquent
With this language
As the person who is preparing for departure
There is none to teach
But the language is learnt
The language is quoted as golden
As it can hurt no one
Much learned people resort to this
When they are to negotiate
Challenging situations
Some great philosophers
Teach their students
Comprehensively with the use of this language
By using this language
You are sure to win
Great many things
Use this wonder language
Effectively and appropriately
The language of silence
poem by Bashyam Narayanan

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Poetry cannot be translated; and, therefore, it is the poets that preserve the languages; for we would not be at the trouble to learn a language if we could have all that is written in it just as well in a translation. But as the beauties of poetry cannot be preserved in any language except that in which it was originally written, we learn the language.
quote by Samuel Johnson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Written-In-Red
(To Our Living Dead in Mexico's Struggle)
Written in red their protest stands,
For the gods of the World to see;
On the dooming wall their bodiless hands
have blazoned "Upharsin," and flaring brands
Illumine the message: "Seize the lands!
Open the prisons and make men free!"
Flame out the living words of the dead
Written-in-red.
Gods of the World! Their mouths are dumb!
Your guns have spoken and they are dust.
But the shrouded Living, whose hearts were numb,
have felt the beat of a wakening drum
Within them sounding-the Dead men's tongue—
Calling: "Smite off the ancient rust!"
Have beheld "Resurrexit," the word of the Dead,
Written-in-red.
Bear it aloft, O roaring, flame!
Skyward aloft, where all may see.
Slaves of the World! Our cause is the same;
One is the immemorial shame;
One is the struggle, and in One name—
MANHOOD— we battle to set men free.
"Uncurse us the Land!" burn the words of the Dead,
Written-in-red.
poem by Voltairine de Cleyre

Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Fundamental of Liar Chapter CXII: Well Prepared
It’s not because a paranoia
It’s not because too cautious
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because a behavior
It’s not because a ritual
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because a genius
It’s not because a clairvoyant
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because detailed analysis
It’s not because calculative plan
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because great strategy
It’s not because flexible mind
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because fantastic budget
It’s not because faithful skill
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because full concentration
It’s not because amateur luck
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because long experience
It’s not because under pressure creativity
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because improved condition
It’s not because natural selection
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because the way of destiny
It’s not because the welcome opportunity
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because calmness
It’s not because maturity
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because success experiment
It’s not because perfect system
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because evil prediction
It’s not because love attention
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because reliable power
It’s not because easy adaptation
It’s just well prepared
It’s not because giving in
It’s not because believing
It’s just well prepared
poem by Maria Sudibyo

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There is a certain age at which a child looks at you in all earnestness and delivers a long, pleased speech in all the true inflections of spoken English, but with not one recognizable syllable. There is no way you can tell the child that if language had been a melody, he had mastered it and done well, but that since it was in fact a sense, he had botched it utterly.
Annie Dillard in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Speak Now
Spoken words carry no grace than the fury,
Tomorrow speech has enlarged revealingly.
Enticing talk is conversation too beautiful,
And fear and hatred is included.
Spears and backs of swords are leant against,
Taught are rasps of the air, calls of besiege;
The war of speech is a wage, a salary
For the troopers of the infantry, the real speech.
poem by Naveed Akram

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In making a speech one must study three points: first, the means of producing persuasion; second, the language; third the proper arrangement of the various parts of the speech.

A scholar is like a book written in a dead language. It is not every one that can read in it.
quote by William Hazlitt

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Although spoken English doesn't obey the rules of written language, a person who doesn't know the rules thoroughly is at a great disadvantage.
quote by Marilyn vos Savant

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Language from Womb to Tomb
It is heard from mother's womb,
taught and learned through the days
and years; repeated, remembered,
quoted, mimicked, twisted,
spoken to bless and to curse.
It is to make one
come across the border lines
It is to feel a part of the whole
It is to understand and be understood.
It is seed that grows through the years
It is a pen that records the scars and stars
It is present in the years of our life
the years lost and gone
and the years to come.
It is language
from mother's womb
to our own tomb
It is language of jubilation,
of judgment and adoration
It is law and order
It is history-
document and monument.
It is victory and defeat.
It is the language of love
It is the language of hate.
It is the language of life
and the language of death.
_____________
May 7,2010
poem by Elizabeth Padillo Olesen

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It is no exaggeration to say that the English Bible is, next to Shakespeare, the greatest work in English literature, and that it will have much more influence than even Shakespeare upon the written and spoken language of the English race.
quote by Lafcadio Hearn

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Are You Ready?
Are you ready?
Action boy now
Action girl now
Be prepared to climb another mountain
Are you ready?
Action boy now
Action girl now
Be prepared to swim across the ocean
Are you ready?
Be prepared
To fill you plate
Be prepared
Dont hesitate
Be prepared
For a great big bust
Be prepared
To do what you must
Be prepared
To take a hit
Be prepared
To go for it
Be prepared
For a sneak attack
Be prepared
Just dont look back
They say, where theres a will theres a way
Weve heard, these are the things that they say
So.
Reach out for that big fat star
Stick to the groove
And go real far
Outrun the ones who steal the abar (? ? )
Are you ready?
Action boy now
Action girl now
Be prepared to blast into the future
Action boy now
Action girl now
Be prepared to rearrange the picture
Are you ready?
song performed by by Devo

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself. The resources of the graphic art are taxed beyond their powers in attempting to portray its features. Language and illustration combined must fail.
quote by John Wesley Powell

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Dead And Broken
Too many things I've never spoken
I'm not feeling fine
I never told you what to do
I never made you a promise that you could hold me to
That'll be the day you see me crying
Everyday, I still say you're dead and broken
Everyday, I still say you're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
How many different faces can you show me?
How many times can you be right?
Another world of fantasy
Another reason for dramatizing everything
Taking it all in just one more time
I'm dying
Everyday, I still say you're dead and broken
Everyday, I still say you're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
Sorry to see that you're underestimated lately
I'd rather be dead and broken than living in your grace
Everyday, I still say you're dead and broken
Everyday, I still say you're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
You're dead and broken
song performed by by Godsmack

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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