 |
| Sample of Robert Burns |
We are all using more and more technology, therefore we put pen to paper less and less. Because of this handwriting and spelling is deteriorating according to a recent study done by BIC, the pen manufacturer.
But, I also believe we are gradually erasing any written legacies that we may leave behind for future generations to learn about and understand the world that we live in now; as our thoughts, beliefs and emotions are regularly communicated clearer when we write by hand.
In recent years handwritten notebooks, pieces of paper containing the manuscripts of books and the lyrics of songs, have been sold for millions at auction. For example, J K Rowling's, The Tales of Beedle Bard, did so in 2007 and only this month, Bob Dylan's, Like a Rolling Stone sold in New York for $2 million.
Online, in the section Romantics and Victorian Manuscripts section of the British Library, we can view the diaries of Queen Victoria, the original works of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Emily Bronte. Everyone of the pieces exhibited give us an insight as to how the Victorians lived and the opportunity to read some of the most celebrated writers manuscripts in their own handwriting.
We can also visit places like Chan Chan in Peru to interpret the hieroglyphics and construct the world of the caveman in our own minds. However I can't help but worry that all of our present and future greats, whether politicians, writers, world experts, or the records relating to destined extinct races, maybe deleted and lost forever, as they will only exist on hard drive, or USB memory stick.
 |
| Life and Liberty by Robert Burns in his own handwriting |
No comments:
Post a Comment