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Open Poetry #43
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What Have We Done to Our Language
| Open Poetry #43 |
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What Have We Done to Our Language |
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LindsayP Member Elite
since 2007-07-28
Posts 3410Australia, Victoria 
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What Have We Done to Our language The English language is on a spiral downhill, For many words now don’t mean the same, Their use is different when we use them today And we must all share some of the blame. When I was young and you said something was cool, It meant it was somewhere between hot and cold, That is just one small demonstration we see, As our English Language destruction unfold. Often when folks say they’re going somewhere, Perhaps to some place that they’d like to go too, Instead of pronouncing the words with some care, They’ll tell you what they are just gunna do. In bygone days when someone said crumpet, You immediately thought of syrup or honey, The word is crudely used by youngsters today And they all think that it’s really quite funny. The term we once used as, ‘how we made out,’ Referred to how you went in your latest exam, Rock music was a lullaby from old Granny’ And no distinguishable word such as spam. A stud was something you used in your collar And grass was mown but not smoked, A joint was a roast you had on a Sunday And pot was a utensil in which it was soaked. When we used the term, ‘going all the way,’ It really meant staying on the bus till the end, A gay person was the life of the party And of fast food we could only pretend. Aids was something enhancing our beauty And time sharing meant togetherness, Sheltered accommodation was the bus shelter And meaningful relationship was friendship success. Coke was something you kept in the woodshed And a chip was wood cuttings not fries, Nuts & bolts was what we called hardware And a big Mac was a raincoat, oversized. So you can see what we’ve done to our language, the terrible mess that we’ve made But I don’t think it will ever get better, It is just something we cannot evade. Lindsay P Wilson |
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| © Copyright 2008 Lindsay P Wilson - All Rights Reserved | |||
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XGarapanX Senior Member
since 2008-06-19
Posts 1435Antarctica |
Ha ha! What a clever and witty write, Sir Lindsay. Loved it! ·´~`·»Garapan«·´~`· |
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Robert E. Jordan Member Rara Avis
since 2008-01-25
Posts 8541Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Yo LindsayP, Nice poem. However-- The English language has been changing for literally ages. It is a work in progress, and thanks heavens, always has been. Most likely, you would not be comfortable at all with true "Old English". Ya dig me Daddy-O. Bobby |
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Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
That was bad ~ really bad! ~ Which nowadays means good ~ really good! ~ Go figure! lol  I always enjoy reading your thoughts! Love to you, my Aussie friend! Linda  |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Lindsay, I enjoyed your poem and its humour and sadness. However, whilst I, too, bemoan the rape of vocabulary and grammar, I must, nevertheless, agree most vociferously with Bobby. English is a living language, and as such, it has to grow, reflect the usage (be it good or bad) of the now, and commune with its users. Whilst I am empassioned by the little I learnt of classical Greek and Latin, they are dead languages and one of their beauties is that they are stalwart in their never-changing strength. Dead languages are beautiful Gardens of Eden, but living languages are exquisite pathways that lead from those gardens onwards to the destination of forever, picking flowers and weeds as they go. Some of the flowers and weeds are discarded as time goes by, some remain for a while, some remain forever in essence, but mutate slowly. A living language reflects human nature, with the good, the bad and the ugly. Every age has its slang, and some of it very poetic and/or effective. I believe that human nature doesn't improve or worsen, just different aspects do, but the balance is always the same. And so, with a living language. It is up to each one of us, to help pick the flowers of the language that we discover, and celebrate them and pass them on to everyone, and to discard the weeds. At the same time, we need to give a living language its freedom, and lift our heads in awe, as we watch it fly. - Owl |
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Prasad Nataraj Senior Member
since 2008-05-29
Posts 1149Bangalore,India |
Hi Lindsay, change is the only phenomenon that doesn’t change, everything else does. Enjoyed your poem. Prasad "Hardwork pays in the long run" |
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Artic Wind Member Rara Avis
since 2007-09-16
Posts 8080Realm of Supernatural |
Interesting Write Lindsay! I REALLY liked it  ARCTIC WIND |
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Honeybunch Member Rara Avis
since 2001-12-29
Posts 7115South Africa |
Hi, Lindsay. We ourselves may not have changed the language but somehow or other we end up using it. In my country we are faced with changing pronunciation and when heard it hits like a bolt of lightening. A simple word like arguement sounds like agreement. There are many other words similarly changed so perhaps it's better to be happy with just changed meanings. Enjoyed your look at the language! Helen |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Enjoyed...some changes for the better and some for the worse...James |
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LindsayP Member Elite
since 2007-07-28
Posts 3410Australia, Victoria |
Dear friends of mine, Garapan, Bobby, Linda, Owl, Prasad, Michael, Helen and James, I can see by all your responses that I will have to change my thinking on my ideas on the english language. Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting old, and that's why I'm so pleased with your remarks for they will help me to move with the times and I must admit that I do use most of them myself. God bless you all. Lindsay |
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Earl Brinkman Senior Member
since 2010-03-03
Posts 1183Osaka, Japan |
I have heard that if Shakespeare could be brought forward to the present by a time machine he would have trouble understanding our conversations. Languages evolve. |
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