The quote that I chose was “Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone”. The person who said this quote was Ralph Waldo Emerson, a person who was many things during his life. Emerson was a philosopher, and an abolitionist, but overall, he was mostly a poet. When he was in school, he became very interested in the culture of Asia and the Middle East. When he traveled the world, he also met many literary icons we know today such as William Wordsworth. While traveling, Emerson also wrote about the abundance of culture in many countries – like Persia – that he saw, opening the West side of the world to many Americans. With his writings, he made comparisons between western poetry to the poetry that was in the east.
The quote itself means that language is something that binds us. If you know the same language as someone else, in a way you are united and connected to that person. It helps you understand them and who they are. The same can be said for oneself. Me for example I speak two languages fluently – English and Spanish. While in America, I almost only speak English, but knowing Spanish helps me and others sometimes. When my relatives come to visit or I go to visit them, I am always to have a conversation with them. At times, these conversations are about their past, life in the country, and things they love about their hometown. The stories are different to life in New York and anywhere I have ever been. It is the language that connects us and allows us to talk. Languages are the bridge to the passing of stories and history.