Connie's Corner

Picture vs. words.....

I used to think the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words." was all about the picture. In other words, it meant a picture was better than words, that one could say so much more with 'just' a picture. It also seemed true that we remember pictures easier than words. Consequently, that is why we see all the pictures in advertising.

But now, yes, you guessed it, I am thinking of all those picture prompts and the vast number of words in entries to describe those pictures. And how a picture can mean all different things to different people. Without the words, the picture probably only means one thing to each of us, yet with words, it can mean many things. Think of the cave drawings...just pictures to us...but stories WITH WORDS to the artists.

I have decided words are much better than pictures. The words explain things, give us something to think about, and paint their own picture for each of us to see as we interpret the meaning of the WORDS. Take the Mona Lisa, for example. How many words have been put forth to "explain" da Vinci's portrait. Even you or I could write our own story to explain the image. But do we have to have the image? No. We can make an image with words.

And then I was thinking, there is the poet versus the writer. Are they really that different or are they pretty much the same. Poetry must read smoothly to be meaningful...so must writing. Poets paint images...so do writers. I think all writers are poets and, conversely, all poets are writers. So why sometimes do we feel so different...we can only write stories...or we can only write poems. Societal interpretation has somehow inflicted this untrue truism on us.

until next time....c