Books: The Quintessence of Literature
...everything aside, and lose themselves to the essence of the book. The word “fortunes” means that people from any walks of life can benefit from a book, whether they are rich or poor. Their fortunes do not determine how much they can profit from a certain book. The word “weathers” means that regardless of a person’s mood or surroundings, they can always turn to a book for entertainment or comfort. The most prominent poetic element that is used in the quote is personification. In this quote, books are given human characteristics such as: faithful, wholesome, cheerful and effectual. Through the use of personification, books are no longer just books; they come alive to be companions when one feels lonely, counselors when one needs assistance or comforters and friends when one is not at their best. As mentioned above, books are as capable as humans of fulfilling others’ intellectual and spiritual needs. The word “weathers” provokes another poetic element – imagery. The use of the word “weathers” portrays the emotions and moods that are associated with weather and climate. For example, rainy days portray a melancholy atmosphere, such as when people are sad or lonely, while sunny days portray a more cheerful atmosphere. The quote suggests that books can be helpful to read especially if the book matches with the reader’s mood and they can relate to it. This quote can be related to different perspectives – personal, societal and cultural. The Bible, for example, is the rock of the Christian faith. A lot of the Christian beliefs are taken from the Bible. If a Christian wants to solidify (or question) their faith, they could make a reference to either the Bible or the Catechism (also an important book in Christianity). If a Christian needs guidance, the Bible would be a good place to seek comfort. If a Christian needs advice, the Bible acts as a counselor and provides them with words of wisdom or proverbs. Because the Bible does these, it is not merely a book, but it is a sacred pillar of the Christian community. A short story that is related to this quote is “The Fall of a City,” which was covered in the Grade 10 short stories unit. The short story is about Teddy, an imaginative and intelligent little boy who lives with his aunt and uncle. Teddy does not have a lot of friends, and spends his time alone in the attic, where he created his own kingdom. He creates a model of the city and its people out of cardboard and he also creates a storyline that goes along with it. Basically, this imaginary city is his divers...